Garments; Dresses
In the materials of their clothing, as far as the cold climate will admit, articles of European manufacture have been substituted for their skins, but there being no fabric as yet introduced equal to or even approaching the durability and warmth of the buffalo skin, all hunters and travelers in the winter season must be clothed with the latter to preserve life or prevent mutilation by frost. Still in the summer season these are laid aside, being full of vermin and saturated with grease and dirt, and the Indian steps proudly around in his calico shirt, blanket, and cloth pantaloons. Their hair also, formerly tangled and matted, has been unraveled by the use of different kinds of combs, and the livestock, which found “a living and a home there,” has, by these instruments, been torn from their comfortable abode, thus rendering useless their original method of disposing of these vermin, viz., extracting them with their fingers and masticating them in turn for revenge.
Most of the clothing used by these tribes is made of skins of their own procuring and dressing, the process of which has already met with attention. They have different dresses for different seasons, also various costumes for war, dancing, and other public occasions, some of which have been described. In the summer seasons, when comparatively idle, the clothing traded from the whites is preferred on account of its superior texture and color, but in their usual occupations, in winter, at war, in the chase, or any public ceremonies among themselves, very few articles of dress thus obtained are seen, if we except some blankets, undercoats, scarlet cloth, and ornaments. Their own dresses of skins fancifully arranged, adorned with feathers, beads, shells, and porcupine quills, are much more highly prized by them than any article of dress of European manufacture introduced by the traders.
We will now detail a few of the most common or everyday dresses among them, in different seasons, male and female, estimating the cost of each in buffalo robes at $3 each, their value in this country.
| No. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A buffalo robe, thin hair, or a dressed cowskin robe on the back | 1 | robe | ||
| Dressed deer or antelope skin leggings | 1 | robe | ||
| Cloth breech flap and moccasins | ½ | robe | ||
| 2 | ½ | robes | at $3=$7.50 | |
| No. 2 | ||||
| A scarlet blanket | 4 | robes | ||
| Beads worked in same | 10 | robes | ||
| Deerskin shirt and leggings fringed and garnishedwith beads and porcupine quills | 5 | robes | ||
| Breech flap of scarlet cloth and moccasin | 1 | robe | ||
| Necklace of bear’s claws | 5 | robes | ||
| Moccasins and handkerchief for the head | 1 | robe | ||
| 26 | robes | at $3=$78.00 | ||
| No. 3 | ||||
| White blanket | 3 | robes | ||
| Calico shirt | 1 | robe | ||
| Neckerchief and cloth breech flap | 1 | robe | ||
| Cottonade pantaloons | 1 | robe | ||
| Muskrat cap | 1 | robe | ||
| Moccasins | 0 | robe | ||
| 7 | robes | at $3=$21.00 | ||
| No. 4 | ||||
| White blanket | 3 | robes | ||
| Blanket capot | 3 | robes | ||
| Skin leggings, plain antelope skin | 1 | robe | ||
| Breechcloth and moccasins | ½ | robe | ||
| 7 | ½ | robes | at $3=$22.50 | |
| No. 5 | ||||
| Scarlet or Hudson Bay blanket | 4 | robes | ||
| Beads worked on same | 10 | robes | ||
| Scarlet laced chief’s coat | 6 | robes | ||
| Black fur hat and three cock feathers | 2 | robes | ||
| Silver hatband and plate | 2 | robes | ||
| 1 pair silver arm bands | 2 | robes | ||
| Scarlet cloth leggings and hawk bells | 1 | robe | ||
| Black silk handkerchief and cloth breech flap | 1 | robe | ||
| Silver gorget, ear wheels and hair pipe | 2 | robes | ||
| Moccasins garnished with beads | ½ | robe | ||
| 30 | ½ | robes | at $3=$91.50 | |
| Winter Dress for Men Hunter’s winter dress of the Plains No. 7 | ||||
| Buffalo robe coat, hair inside | 1 | robe | ||
| Buffalo robe over it | 1 | robe | ||
| Skin cap and mittens, hair inside | ½ | robe | ||
| Blanket breech flap, robe, moccasins, belt knife,and fire apparatus | ½ | robe | ||
| Dressed cowskin leggings 1 pair snowshoes | ½ | robe | ||
| 3 | ½ | robes | at $3=$10.50 | |
| No. 2 | ||||
| White blanket coat with hood | 3 | robes | ||
| White blanket over it | 3 | robes | ||
| Flannel or calico shirt | 1 | robe | ||
| Blanket leggings | 1 | robe | ||
| Soled rope moccasins Blanket breech flap Skin mittens, hair inside | 1 | robe | ||
| 9 | robes | at $3=$27.00 | ||
No. 2 is the dress of a wood hunter, ordinary warrior in winter, if we take away the blanket and substitute a buffalo robe; or it is worn in traveling, and is occasionally used by hunters in the Crow and Sioux Nations, but the Cree and Assiniboin mostly wear No. 1 winter on the plains. Other ordinary dresses are only variations of the foregoing, adding some articles and withdrawing others, but none of them are used when in full dress, on public occasions, among themselves, except sometimes No. 5. All their fancy dresses for dances, war, and feasts have their peculiar marks and distinction in rank; also the robes worn by chiefs, soldiers, or warriors in stated assemblies have their battle scenes painted on them in rude drawings, though intelligible to them. When merely designed to be ornamental the drawing consists of a representation of the sun, made by a large brilliant circle painted in the middle. Sometimes a calumet is pictured, and other devices, such as guns, bows, lances, horses, etc.
The dresses of the divining men are not distinguished from those of ordinary Indians by any marks, unless they are able and wish to renew the remembrance of their former coups on their enemies by wearing a robe on which they are drawn, but being generally old they seldom make any display in dress, though wearing a cap or piece of bearskin round the head is common with them. The rest of their clothing in summer would answer to No. 1 and in winter to No. 2, abstracting the blanket capot.
| No. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dressed cowskin cotillion | 1 | robe | ||
| Leggings of same | ½ | robe | ||
| Dressed cow or elk-skin robe | 1 | robe | ||
| Moccasins | 0 | robe | ||
| 2 | ½ | robes | at $3=$7.50 | |
| No. 2 | ||||
| Colored blanket | 4 | robes | ||
| Blue or scarlet cloth dress | 3 | robes | ||
| Garnishing of beads on same | 5 | robes | ||
| Scarlet cloth leggings ornamented with beads | 2 | robes | ||
| White deerskin moccasins worked with beads | 1 | robe | ||
| Heavy bead earrings and necklaces | 4 | robes | ||
| Brass-wire wristbands and rings | 1 | robe | ||
| 20 | robes | at $3=$60.00 | ||
| No. 3.—Crow Indians | ||||
| Fine white dressed elk-skin robe | 1 | robe | ||
| Fine white bighorn skin cotillion adorned with 300 elk teeth | 25 | robes | ||
| Neck collar of large brass wire | 1 | robe | ||
| Fine antelope skin leggings worked with porcupine quills | 3 | robes | ||
| Brass wire wristbands and rings | 1 | robe | ||
| California shell ear ornaments | 3 | robes | ||
| Very heavy bead necklaces | 3 | robes | ||
| Moccasins covered with beads | 2 | robes | ||
| 39 | robes | at $3=$117.00 | ||
| No. 4.—Sioux | ||||
| Fine white dressed elk skin robe, painted | 1 | robe | ||
| Fine white dressed antelope skin cotillion heavily ornamented with beads or shells on breast and arm | 30 | robes | ||
| Leggings of same ornamented with beads | 3 | robes | ||
| Bead or wire necklace | 2 | robes | ||
| Garnished moccasins and brass breast plate | 1 | robe | ||
| Ear bones | 3 | robes | ||
| 40 | robes | at $3=$120.00 | ||
| No. 5.—Common Sioux, Assiniboin, or Crow Dress | ||||
| White blanket | 3 | robes | ||
| Blue cloth cotillion or green cloth | 2 | robes | ||
| Scarlet cloth leggings | 1 | robe | ||
| 6 | robes | at $3=$18.00 | ||
| No. 6.—Winter Dress | ||||
| Buffalo robe | 1 | robe | ||
| Dressed cowskin cotillion | 1 | robe | ||
| Dressed cowskin leggings and shoes | 1 | robe | ||
| 3 | robes | at $3=$9.00 | ||
| No. 7.—Winter Dress—Crows | ||||
| Buffalo robe much garnished with porcupine quills | 4 | robes | ||
| Big Horn cotillion trimmed with scarlet andornamented with porcupine quills | 3 | robes | ||
| Leggings of elk skin, fringed and worked with quills | 2 | robes | ||
| Wrist, ear, and neck ornaments, say | 3 | robes | ||
| 12 | robes | $3=$36.00 | ||
There are many other dresses worn, differing in cost according to the ornaments or labor bestowed on them, and the foregoing are varied with their fancy and means; some therefore would cost high and others merely a trifle. Those of mounted warriors, for dances, soldiers, etc., are still more valuable owing to the war eagle feathers and other decorations. It is difficult to determine the cost and durability of each costume. The cost has been stated, but every Indian can dress only according to his means, which, if sufficient, will adorn his clothing with ornaments to a great extent; but if limited, he must be contented with such materials for covering as are yielded by the skins of the animals that furnish him with food; consequently every shade and variety of dress is visible among them. Some portions of these dresses are only worn on occasions, while others are retained all the time, and wear out the sooner. As an ordinary rule, Indians, both male and female, renew their clothing of European manufacture every spring, though the portions discarded are cut up for leggings, breech flaps, hunting caps, gun wadding, etc.
It may be said to last six months if worn while hunting, or a year if only used at times, in traveling and while idle, as is comparatively the case in the summer season. A complete suit of skin will last the whole year round, its actual cost being only the labor of dressing, and as time in the summer is of no value to them it may be said to cost in reality nothing if not ornamented. Blankets and cloth are not damaged by wet but do not resist the cold. Skins are impervious to cold and wind but are destroyed by being wet, hence the necessity and advantage of wearing the one in summer and the other in winter, independent of the filthy nature of skins when long worn, and of the capability of woolens to be cleansed by washing. The dress of a mounted warrior [pl. 76]), as in battle or in the dance, would be as follows, the cost being estimated as before:
| Buffalo robe painted with battle scenes and garnished with porcupine quills; best; 6 robes | $18.00 |
| Skin shirt and leggings garnished with human hair and porcupine quills, valued at 1 horse or 10 robes | 30.00 |
| War-eagle feather cap, largest kind; price, 2 horses, 10 robes each | 60.00 |
| Necklace of bear’s claws wrought on otter skin, 6 obes | 18.00 |
| Feathers of the war eagle on shield, lance, and horse, 10 robes | 30.00 |
| Garnished moccasins, 1 robe | 3.00 |
| Shell ear ornaments, 4 robes | 12.00 |
| Total | 171.00 |
| Another fancy dress would cost as follows: | |
| Scarlet blanket, 4 robes, at $3 | $12.00 |
| Beads on same, 10 robes | 30.00 |
| Skin shirt and leggings garnished with porcupine quills and trimmed with ermine, 20 robes | 60.00 |
| Bear’s-claw necklace, 6 robes | 18.00 |
| Soldier’s cap of magpie feathers, tipped with red and fringed with ermine, 10 robes | 30.00 |
| Brass-wire arm bands, 3 robes | 9.00 |
| Eagle feathers on lance and shield, 6 robes | 18.00 |
| Shell ear ornaments and moccasins, 4 robes | 12.00 |
| Total | 189.00 |
Both of the above dresses are principally of their own manufacture; yet if a trader wishes to purchase them he has great difficulty in doing so, even by paying the above prices in merchandise, of which they always stand in need; indeed, they seldom can be induced to part with them on any terms unless forced to sell to supply some reverse by loss of property which has happened to their families. The reason is that they are scarce, difficult to replace, and also it is the wish of the warriors to wear them during their lives on all public occasions and to be clothed with them when they die. Two tails of the war eagle of 12 feathers each would be worth two horses if wrought into a cap, or something more than a horse without. Usually the value of the tail feathers of this bird among any of the tribes of whom we write is $2 each in merchandise in this country, or 15 feathers for a horse.
Ten ermine skins will also bring a horse among the Crow Indians, and 100 elk teeth are worth as much, there being but two teeth in each elk which are suitable, and the tail feathers of the war eagle are the only ones used. The elk are not killed in great numbers by any one hunter, so that much time and bargaining are required for an individual to collect 300, the number usually wrought on a Crow woman’s dress. The eagles are scarce and difficult to catch; hence the value of these two ornaments.
The men in their homes in their own country at night divest themselves of their moccasins, leggings, and blanket capot (if any), retaining only the breech flap, and covering themselves with their robe or blanket; but when traveling, at war, in the chase, or encamped on the borders of their enemy’s country no portions of clothing are taken off at night; even their arms and accouterments are retained while sleeping. In the summer season the women lay aside their leggings and moccasins when going to bed, reserving only the petticoats, or cotillion, as it is called in this country, and covering themselves with the robe, but in the winter, or in traveling, no part of their clothing is taken off. Young unmarried and as yet untouched women take the precaution at night to wind around their dress a strong cord, strapping the same tightly to their body and legs.
This is done by some of their female relatives, the cord being well tied and wrapped around many times to prevent the consequences of any mistakes on the part of young men as to the location of their bed, which might happen if they entered during the night, or if they were guests. It is considered a great credit to a young woman never to have slept unbound as above previous to marriage. Saddles, billets of wood, and parts of clothing taken off serve as pillows for the men. Provision bales, wooden bowls, and baggage sacks answer the same purpose for the women. Rawhides, saddle blankets, apishimos,[34] skins in hair, with grass and twigs beneath form the bed, which is seldom longer than two-thirds the sleeper, and about 3 feet wide.