Native American Clothing

A collection of photographs from museums, collectors and private dealers that documents five centuries of Native American artistry.

This beautiful book presents a fascinating array of complete women's and girls' outfits dating from the 1830s to the present, including dresses, shawls, shoes, belts, bags, fans, and hair accessories. Also included is historical and contemporary background information on Native life and Native women and their dress. To accompany a major exhibit of the same name at the NMAI in March 2007.

A beautifully produced and illustrated (bandw) reference that offers complete descriptions and cultural contexts of the dress and ornamentation of the North American Indian tribes. The volume is divided into ten cultural regions, with each chapter giving an overview of the regional clothing. Individual tribes of the area follow in alphabetical order. Tribal information includes men's basic dress, women's basic dress, footwear, outer wear, hair styles, headgear, accessories, jewelry, armor, special costumes, garment decoration, face and body embellishment, transitional dress after European contact, and bibliographic references. Appendices include a description of clothing arts and a glossary. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Explores the traditional dress of Native Americans in the nine major cultural areas of North America, with an emphasis on everyday or "work" clothes. Individual items of clothing are discussed in detail, including skirts & aprons from a variety of materials, dresses of many styles, capotes, robes, breechclouts, leggings, shirts, breastplates, parkas, hats, moccasins cradleboards and sandals. Selected pieces of dress clothing, primarily from the Plains, are also discussed. Included are drawings, patterns and ideas for making replicas of primitive clothing.

The clothing of native peoples reveals much about the resources available to them, the climate in which they lived, their customs, and their creativity with textiles. This concise guide to native clothing features different apparel worn by a variety of tribes across America. Carefully chosen photographs support the information in the engaging text, while readers won’t forget the important facts they learn in "Did You Know?" boxes throughout the volume.

In her book, Patricia Anawalt describes through text and more than 350 illustrations and charts what the Indians of Middle America were wearing when Corts and his conquistadors arrived in the New World in 1519. The costumes reveal a great deal about those who wore them. To the peoples of Middle America, dress was identity; even a god had to don his proper attire. To the Aztecs and their neighbors, for example, the wearing of appropriate clothing was strictly controlled by both custom and law. An individuals attire immediately identified not only culture affiliation but rank and status as well. Since each group dressed in a distinctive and characteristic manner, a great deal of ethnographic and historical information can be gleaned from a study of what those groups wore.

Explore Native American Cultures! with 25 Great Projects introduces readers to seven main Native American cultural regions, from the northeast woodlands to the Northwest tribes. It encourages readers to investigate the daily activities—including the rituals, beliefs, and longstanding traditions—of America’s First People. Where did they live? How did they learn to survive and build thriving communities? This book also investigates the negative impact European explorers and settlers had on Native Americans, giving readers a glimpse into the complicated history of Native Americans. Readers will enjoy the fascinating stories about America’s First People as leaders, inventors, diplomats, and artists. To enrich the historical information, hands-on activities bring to life each region’s traditions, including region-specific festivals, technology, and art. Readers can learn Native American sign language and create a salt dough map of the Native American regions. Each project is outlined with clear step-by-step instructions and diagrams, and requires minimal adult supervision.

The traditional clothing of Native Americans reveals much about the resources that were available to their ancestors, the climate in which they lived, their customs, and their creativity with textiles. This valuable guide to the clothing of several native peoples features different apparel worn by a variety of communities across America. Carefully chosen photographs support the interesting information in the engaging and meticulously researched text. Readers will be especially intrigued by the details spotlighted in the fact boxes and sidebars throughout. A graphic organizer and concluding questions encourage readers to think more deeply about the key ideas of the book.