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| Native American Woman |
Clothing to Native Americans was very important to them. They did not take making clothing lightly at all; it was very serious to them. Men usually did not make clothing at all. Mostly women were the makers of all the clothing. The objects and decorations that the women used were very symbolic. A lot of family relationships were honored in the making of clothing.
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| Native American Dress |
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| Native American Headdress |
Each Native American tribe had their own style of clothing. But the most important thing is that all Native Americans greatly respected nature and animals. Even though each tribe added their own little flare to their clothing, they did all have some things in common. No matter what tribe, all women would wear skirts or leggings. Both men and women would wear moccasins. One thing that was different for each tribe was headgear and ceremony attire.
Headdresses were a huge part in Native American clothing.
The Sioux were thought to be the first to wear headdresses. If you wore a
headdress then what was a very huge deal. Not everyone was allowed to wear one.
Only the most influential and powerful could wear a headdress. For some tribes
you would have to earn your way to wear the headdress. A lot of times the
warrior had to fast for a few days. During this time they would also have to be
meditating. The purpose of this was to show his dedication to the tribe.
The making of headdress was also a serious task. Women were
not allowed to participate in the making. Usually only the chief and/or his
closest friends participated. The main aspect of the headdress was the bird
feathers. The more feathers you had on your headdress mean the more brave you
are. The feathers could be all sorts of colors or just different feather of the
same color. The Golden Eagle feather was very significant and was a great honor
if you had one. If you did have one, then everyone else in your tribe treated
you with a lot of respect. The strap of the headdress was usually made out of
deer sinew, leather, or even sometimes just cloth. Since headdresses were so
complex, they were usually not made in one sitting.
In today's society, Native American costumes are very popular for Halloween. It is very much overlooked of how big of a deal and how serious it was to have the honor of wearing a headdress. Also in today's society headdress are used for Native American weddings and ceremonies, not so much for battling.
The most important
thing that I have learned is that clothing was and still is very important and symbolic to Native Americans. It is very different than the clothes we wear today. Our clothes usually
do not have as significant meaning. Most people wear the clothes they wear because
it is the fashion.
