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Native
American CLOTHING
Ceremonial Dress
When most people think about Native American clothing, they think
deerskin, animal furs and moccasins.
Native American ceremonial
dress was worn for special occasions, spiritual ceremonies and
rituals.
The style of this dress
and its décor read much like a modern military uniform.
The symbols, colors and beads that adorn these regalia are indicative
of a person’s family, tribe, political status and marital
status.
While the theme remains
the same, the styles vary from region to region between tribal
nations.
Several items of ceremonial
dress were often smudged and worn at certain occasions only, such
as burial ceremonies or weddings. New styles of dress have evolved
for dance ceremonies at Pow Wow festivals.
Moccasins
One of the most popular dress items related to Native Americans,
the moccasin, has its origin with Indian tribes of the North East
where seasonally cold weather made it necessary to create some
form of foot protection.
The name Ojibway, a Native
American tribe from the Great Lakes area, means “people
of the puckered moccasin.”
Like all crafted Native
American items, moccasins were innovatively modified to be more
functional, especially in a given environment. They also had style
and decorative differences that made them distinguishable from
one tribe to another.
One or more pieces of rawhide
were worked into the sole of moccasins worn in the western plain
states and desert areas to protect the feet from sharp rock and
small cactus.
Tribes such as the Apache
commonly wore moccasins with a turned up toe, and the purpose
of design was to prevent sharp objects from entering the seams
and causing injury.
The most common moccasin
was the soft soled moccasin, often constructed from a single piece
of leather that was wrapped around the foot and sewn with a patch
added to the instep.
Pouches
Since Native American clothing did not contain pockets, pouches
of various sizes and shapes were used to carry food, medicine,
fetishes, tobacco and any other necessities. Made of tanned leather
or animal bladders, pouches were attached to belts and hung from
wrists or necks or slung across the back.
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