{"id":4339,"date":"2022-11-01T17:51:13","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T17:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehumanbeautymovement.com\/?p=4339"},"modified":"2024-02-20T19:37:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T03:37:52","slug":"a-look-at-native-american-beauty-and-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehumanbeautymovement.com\/a-look-at-native-american-beauty-and-style\/","title":{"rendered":"A Look at Native American Beauty and Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Native American culture has long been rooted in respect for the land and living in harmony with nature, so it\u2019s natural for Indigeous fashion and beauty traditions to be a strong reflection of these values. As November is National Native American Heritage Month, pausing to learn about the history and evolution of Native American traditions is one small way we can broaden our awareness and support the integrity of precious Native American culture.<\/p>\n

Native American Traditional Clothing and Style<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The clothing of Native Americans was closely tied to the environment and spiritual beliefs. Ranging from tropical and woodland regions to deserts and mountains, Native Americans developed diverse styles of clothing. In the warmest regions, little clothing was worn. In California, for example, Indigenous men were normally naked, but women wore simple knee-length skirts. In the coldest areas of the Subarctic and Arctic, warm trousers, hooded anoraks, and mittens protected Indigenous people from freezing temperatures. Despite the vast differences in climate and clothing styles, Native Americans had in common the basic notion of living in harmony with nature.<\/p>\n

Clothing Materials Used by Native Americans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Native Americans made use of the natural materials available to them from their environment. Here are some notable materials commonly used for clothing:<\/p>\n

Animal Skins<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Native Americans were, and continue to be, survivors. Generations ago, they fished, hunted, and gathered edible plants. Some tribes, such as the Navajo in the southwestern United States and the Oneida of northern New York, tended flocks of sheep or grew crops to add to what they found in nature. Native Americans developed methods of tanning animal skins to make soft leather, and from this leather, they made clothing and shoes. Leather clothing was soft and strong, and if the animal\u2019s fur was left on the skin, it was also warm, which was ideal for tribes in cooler regions.1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

To Native Americans, all of nature, including animals and plants, have spiritual power. Wearing parts of an animal blesses the person with some of the animal\u2019s power and strength. The wearing of animal skins became more than just putting on a form of comfortable and durable clothing for Indigenous people.<\/p>\n

\"Animal<\/p>\n

Plant Fibers<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One of the most plentiful natural resources was the bark of trees. It was stripped, dried, and shredded to make fibers. These fibers were used to weave soft, comfortable clothing. Typical shredded bark clothing included skirts, aprons, shirts, belts, hats, capes, and even raincoats. In the southeastern United States, the Cherokee used mulberry bark to make soft shirts, while the Pomo living along the West Coast used shredded redwood bark to make wraparound skirts. Tribes of the rainy Northwest coast of North America, such as the Tlingit and the Suquamish, wove rain-hats and raincoats from the bark of cedar trees.2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Plant<\/p>\n

Woven Cloth<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Although many tribes used handmade methods of weaving, natives of the American Southwest were the first to develop a loom, or weaving device, for weaving cloth. In 1200 A.D., long before the arrival of the first Europeans, Native Americans in the Southwest grew cotton and wove it into cloth. They also wove yucca, wool, feathers, and even human hair into fabrics.<\/p>\n

The continued contact with Europeans and white settlers halted Native Americans\u2019 ability to continue making clothing traditionally due to being pushed off their homelands and onto reservations during the 1800s. This caused them to lose the ability to hunt for or gather the necessary materials for their clothes. Their new circumstances forced them to buy clothing from Europeans, which drastically changed the Native American clothing style.3<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Woven<\/p>\n

Traditional Garments Worn by Native Americans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Today, traditional clothing is still worn by Native Americans to express their culture and heritage. While there are several prominent garments often worn by Indigenous people throughout history, here are a few of the most influential:<\/p>\n

Headdresses<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A Native American headdress, or sometimes known as a war bonnet, is a headpiece with feathers that are attached to the entire top edge of a leather headband. Commonly, they\u2019re embellished with intricate beadwork or natural leather. The feathers decorating headdresses are typically from birds that are indigenous to the local area of the tribe. The feathers are held together with leather thread or sinew and can be designed in many different and unique ways. The Native American headdress is a well-known symbol of strength and bravery to the indigenous people of North America, and they\u2019re typically worn by the most powerful and influential members of the tribe.4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"War<\/p>\n

Breechcloths and Leggings<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A breechcloth, also known as a loincloth, is a long rectangular piece of tanned deerskin, cloth, or animal fur that is worn between the legs and tucked over a belt. Breechcloths leave the legs bare, so Native American men often wore leggings for warmth. Native American leggings are tube-like footless pant legs, usually made from buckskin or other soft leather. Leggings varied from tribe to tribe with some being fringed and others painted with different colors.5<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Breechcloth<\/p>\n

Breast Plates<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Breastplates are made from a variety of materials including bone hair-pipe, deer hide, and glass beads. Breastplates provided spiritual protection to the men who wore them, giving a sense of strength and security to them as they fought for their tribes. The decorations on each particular breastplate are deeply meaningful to its owner and often include feathers, quills, handmade beads, and mirrors. Oftentimes, the wealth and strength of a warrior could be determined by the number of hair-pipe bones that made up his breastplate, as well as the particular items it was adorned with.6<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Breast<\/p>\n

Native American Beauty Traditions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For many cultures, makeup was used to define social and military status or to assert ferocity. This is mirrored in nature with animals displaying markings to their advantage, whether it be for hunting purposes or to defend themselves against predators. For Native Americans, though, face painting was a way to show tribal identity.<\/p>\n

Native American Face Painting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Face painting has been used in Native American culture since antiquity with each tribe having its own unique patterns and designs. Face painting is an important tradition that allows Native American people to connect with their heritage, tell stories, and assert their social standing and power. The uses, colors, and symbolism of face paintings, though, have varied throughout time and tribe.<\/p>\n

The Significance of Colors<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Colors in Native American culture have special significance:<\/p>\n