The Evolution Of Native American Women's Clothing

Who doesn't visualize Walt Disney's Pocahontas when thinking of Native American's women's clothing? Much like any other type of fashion identity however, it is quite the opposite of this static mental image. Instead, it is diverse and dynamic. In fact, it has evolved to grace the shoulders of dignitaries such as Jill Biden on her summer 2021 visit to Navajo Nation. The colorful Pendleton blanket the First Lady was wrapped in was both solemn and chic. With such limelight on Native American apparel, one cannot help but marvel at Native American fashion nowadays.

The evolution of Native American women's clothing is the mirror of a society's changing nature. Beyond the beauty of indigenous attire lies a flurry of codes that reveal as much about the person wearing them as their environment. Read on to learn about the evolution of North American women's clothing and how it lives on through indigenous fashion designers today.

Of rank and status

The quality of a Native American woman's skills as a seamstress, as well as her output, would depict her virtues and as such reflect on her tribe the value of her family. It is therefore fair to say that women had a central role to play in their family's status in the tribe. The nature of their clothing also gave important clues as to their particular culture.

A Native American woman's wedding clothes would depict tribal customs as well as social status. In the Northern plains for example, elk teeth were stitched on the wedding dress by the groom's family and gifted to the bride as a form of dowry, only in reverse. As elks have only two ivory teeth, reaching the symbolic number of 500 elk teeth on one wedding dress was a great show of wealth. Los-Angeles-based, indigenous fashion designer Bethany Yellowtail uses such heritage in her creations to reflect her Crow and Cheyenne ancestry.

Nowadays, handcrafted products are very much in. Fringes, beads and meaningful motifs still feature on Native American women's fashion items. They switched from telling a story about rank and status to focusing on heritage and paying respect to traditions. Beyond Buckskin Boutique offers a range of Native design T-shirts and dresses and is as ethical as it gets, supporting Native American tribes.

Geography and natural resources

Among the dozen tribes coexisting in North American and especially before the arrival of Europeans, no two fashion identities were the same. Tribes all spoke different languages and lived in very diverse geographical conditions. This greatly influenced their choice of clothing as well as their sense of fashion. Although animal skins were a favored garment, it was not readily available in all parts of North America. Very often, Native Americans ingeniously crafted items of clothing from plant-based material such as tree bark or bushes. The shredded pieces of plants were used as yarns to weave coats, shirts, dresses and leggings from. Sometimes animal hair was used to adorn these items with the ever-popular indigenous fringe work.

Southern regions typically featured airier pieces than were seen in the North. Out in the cold and damp Northern areas, the sought-after deer skin would not withstand adverse weather conditions as well as some plant-based regalia. A shirt and skirt, or sometimes a long dress with short, wide sleeves, would form the basis of many tribes' women's clothing. Wearing classic styles was very much the norm, only adorned with various accessories or embellished with velvet, mink fur or other ornaments for ceremonies. The symmetrical motifs displaying masterpieces of sewing or beading would diverge between tribes.

What fashion means for Native American women

Nowadays, lifelong skills such as weaving and handcrafting have in part been lost to the pursuit of Western goals, impoverishing whole communities. The Covid-19 crisis has added chaos to Native American communities and women in particular. According to the US Department of Justice, 8 in 10 Native American women will experience violence in their lifetime, mostly at the hands of non-Indian perpetrators.

Fashion has subtle ways of reminding us all of our duty of care. Jaime Black, a young Canadian artist with a Métis ancestry, brings hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women back to the fore with her RedDress project. Any Native American woman wearing a classic style red dress today is paying respect to lost sisters.

The pitfalls of appropriation

Knowing the symbolism behind Native American women's clothing, it goes without saying that making a profit out of sacred attire is a no go. Some still do, at their own peril. In 2013, retail giant H&M pulled indigenous-inspired headgear out of their Canadian stores as the lack of respect to aboriginals for using their sacred headdress as an accessory was evidenced yet again on a wide scale.

A court case in New Mexico is currently investigating whether three Filipino individuals could face up to five years in prison and $250,000 for selling counterfeit Native American jewelry in the United States. The Department of Justice notes that the Indian Arts and Crafts Act prohibits the sale, or offer or display for sale, of any good in a manner that falsely suggests that it is produced by Native Americans, a Native American product, or the product of a particular Native American and Native American tribe.

The future of Native American women's fashion

Thankfully, there is a sustainable way to enjoy beautiful aboriginal clothing without walking down the route of cultural property theft. All one has to do is purchase non-sacred items directly from trusted indigenous sources. Such commerce would benefit reservations as well as fashionistas the world over. Think along the lines of 'Buy from Inspired Natives — not from native-inspired brands'.

By Kylee Carter