Why is the history of Native American headdresses important for us?

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As proud American citizens, we must remember our traditions and ancestors. Maybe we are not aware, but our current fashion and style is connected with the history of Native American headdresses. Especially when we are talking about hats and bonnets, the history of Native American headdresses is the starting point. This way, you could discover the evolution of clothes from their origins to the modern fashion houses

Here are some items contained in the history of Native American headdresses

If you watched the Hollywood movies from the 60s, you are familiar with the warbonnets. Those Amerindian accessories are feathered. Although the movies made those accessories known worldwide, too many Indians did not wear them. In fact, only a small number of tribes from the Great Plains region used them. The Dakota tribe used them sometimes, but only for ceremonies and important events. However, the warbonnets are an important item from the history of Native American headdresses. There are two types of warbonnets: the single rowed model with a single trailer, and the double rowed warbonnet that was only designed for chiefs and chieftains. The Blackfoot tribe also wore a special kind of warbonnet having straight feathers of the golden eagle. The warbonnets were important for this tribe, as every feather symbolizes an act of bravery.

The feathered warbonnets are more popular in the Amerindian culture. They had roach headdresses, and the Amerindians living on the territory of the United States mostly wore them. The feathered warbonnets were made by animal hair. The animal is different from one tribe to another. in the majority of cases, the sacred animal of a certain tribe was used to manufacture those items. The warbonnet must stay straight up, and this is the reason for the long hair of the Indians. For some rituals, the hair must be dyed in different colors, body must be tattooed, and some other decorations could be attached. The artificial roach must be attached in a special ceremony, and it symbolizes that the person wearing it is officially a member of the tribe’s counseling. Some other feathered accessories could be attached to other parts of the body during certain events or fights. The feathered warbonnets are a symbol of some tribes even today, but most of them are lying in museums.

The Amerindian tribes from the Rocky Mountains manufactured some larger hats. Those conical models were made from cedar fibers, as those tribes would never kill their sacred animals in order to manufacture headdresses.

The headdresses were the most important dressing accessories for the Amerindian tribes. Every part of them symbolizes a certain event. During fights, the winners used to take the scalps and the headdresses from the dead enemies, in order to celebrate the victory. For important chieftains, the headdresses were bought back. Some tribes believed that a dead chief can’t rest without its headdress, so it was mandatory to be recovered before the burial ceremony. Parts of those dressing accessories can be found even today, especially in those states where the Amerindian culture is still alive.