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Clothing
•The Iroquois, or as we prefer to call ourselves, the
Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse),
used materials for clothing found in our natural
environment. Traditionally the Haudenosaunee
used furs obtained from the woodland animals,
hides of elk and deer, corn husks, and they also
wove plant and tree fibers to produce articles of
clothing. What I find very interesting about
Haudenosaunee clothing, is that even though in
modern day we have incorporated calico and
other fabrics into our clothing, the style and the
symbolic decorations of our regalia remains the
same as it did since time immemorial. Therefore,
when you see our women's regalia made from
calico and broad cloth, if you could make you
mind's eye think of it as being made from
deerskin you would be stepping back in time to
when no stores existed in which to buy such
materials. This is not to say that we no longer use
traditional materials to create our regalia because
we still do, but one should understand that Native
American culture is dynamic, for it is a living
culture where adaptation and inherence to
tradition is necessary for life to continue. In this
article, I will describe and explain the
Haudenosaunee regalia of our men and women
from head to foot.
•
•Haudenosaunee Men's Regalia
•
•In describing Haudenosaunee regalia, let me begin
with the headwear. Many people mistakenly think
that all Native American Indians wore plains style
war bonnets, which is untrue. This myth began in
the early part of the 1900's to the 1950's when
photographers wanted Iroquois people to wear
war bonnets when posing for pictures because
they thought it looked more "Indian", which has
lead to old pictures of Iroquois people in war
bonnets. I even have a picture of my great uncle
wearing one. However, the Haudenosaunee have
their own type of feathered headwear, which is
quite beautiful, called in the Mohawk language, a
Kastoweh (gah sto wha).
•
•Kastoweh (Feathered Hat)
•
•The Kastoweh has a frame that is made from 3 black
ash splints. One splint wraps around the head.
The second splint runs from north to south and it
is bowed to fit over and around the top of the
head, and the third splint runs from east to west
and is also bowed, then both strips are secured
to the splint that runs around the head by sinew.
This makes a wonderful frame. Sometimes the
top of the splint frame is covered with deer skin
or today by cloth. On the outside of the
headband, it was traditionally decorated with
Haudenosaunee symbols, usually made with
porcupine quills, or wampum beads. In later
years a band of silver was designed and
attached. When glass beads were introduced
some kastoweh bands were beaded. Today one
might see any of the aforementioned bands
attached to the Haudenosaunee feathered hat.
The Haudenosaunee also wore fur headdresses,
as well as deer hair roaches.
•
•Shirts, Sashes, and Bibs
•
•Haudenosaunee men traditionally wore fringed shirts
made from deerskin. In the summer months men
would often not wear a shirt, but would wear a
finger-woven sash that went over the right
shoulder and was attached to the waist. These
sashes were woven from plant materials
sometimes elm, or basswood fibers were used,
as well as nettle fibers. Sashes can were made of
deerskin and decorated with clan motifs or other
Haudenosaunee symbols made with porcupine
quills, wampum beads, or glass beads.
Sometimes the silver brooches are attached to
create a very beautiful design. In recent times,
the Haudenosaunee have added the use of cloth
(broadcloth and calico are some of the favorite
types) and ribbons to make shirts.
•
•Haudenosaunee men's regalia can also consist of a
leather, wool, or cloth neck pieces, which is
known as a bib. These bibs are elaborately
decorated with either quill, or beadwork. While I
am mentioning belts and sashes, I should
mention that wampum belts were also worn as
sashes, and that deer toes were worn around the
knees, which made noise, much like bells do.
•
•Kilts, Leggings and Breech-Cloth
•
•Kilts were traditionally made from leather and the
edges fringed and decorated with porcupine quill-
work. Kilts are secured around the waist by a
sash. Today kilts can be made from cloth, usually
wool in red or black is preferred. Also worn with a
kilt, or breech cloth are leather, wool, or
broadcloth leggings that are either attached by
separate ties to a sash--or threaded through a
sash or leather belt.
•
•Leggings are often worn so that the seam faces the
outside of the leg. This allows the fringes, if made
from leather to face outward from the body.
Sometimes the seam is left so that it faces
towards the front, if made from cloth, and is left
open a few inches at the bottom of the legging.
Either way, the bottom of the legging and along
the seam is decorated with very fine work.
Traditionally porcupine quills were used, but
working with quills is becoming a dying art, today
small white glass beads are used that creates
such fine work that it looks like lace work. A
breech cloth can be made from leather or cloth.
•
•Breech cloths can be made in two different styles. In
one style, the breech-cloth is made from a single
long piece of deerskin or cloth that is 2 yards long
and 10 o 12 inches wide, which is long enough to
hang in the back and front and pass between the
legs. The breech- cloth is secured to the waist by
a sash, or leather belt. Today some people make
breech cloths by taking two panels of cloth or
leather and attaching them to a sash or belt,
which is then secured around the waist. With this
method, the cloth does not pass between the
legs, so shorts must me worn because there is
no covering of one's private areas. Both types of
cloths are decorated. If leather, the fringe would
hang down in front and back and the front and
back panels would be decorated with quill or
bead work. If made from cloth, wool, or
broadcloth, the front and back edges are beaded.
The front and back of the breech cloth is also
beaded with Haudenosaunee symbols or clan
animal.
•
•Moccasins
•
•The Haudenosaunee moccasin is made from strong
leather, like deer or elk. Both men and women
wear the same style moccasin. The
Haudenosaunee moccasin is not a tall moccasin
although it has a cuff that when folded up made
be two to three inches wide--this leather is folded
down to make a cuff. This cuff is decorated with
porcupine quill work. Often times bead work is
done on a separate piece of fabric like velvet and
then it is attached to the cuff. This is done so that
when the moccasin wears out the beading and
easily be taken off and reattached to a new pair
of moccasins. The front top of the moccasin
consists of a long u shaped vamp. This vamp is
also decorated in the same manner as the cuff.
Sometimes porcupine guard hairs are gathered
and made into tassels, which are then sewn unto
the cuff of the moccasin. These Haudenosaunee
moccasins are very beautiful.
•
•Interestingly, the Haudenosaunee used a small bone
that is found near the ankle joint of the deer was
made into a needle, which was used as a needle
to sew with. Also sinew was taken from the deer
to be used as thread--along with twisted elm bark
fibers.
•
•Tota Wari Martin-Fisher 1999©
•
•Haudenosaunee Women's Regalia
•
•Haudenosaunee women's headwear is said to
resemble a tiara because of its shape. These
headbands are very strikingly beautiful. To create
the headband cloth, either velvet, wool, or
broadcloth is beaded onto a stiffer backing. Then
the beaded cloth is attached to either leather or
cloth. These layers are sewn together. Edging the
top with glass seed beads completes the
headband. Haudenosaunee use the smallest
white seed beads when decorating their regalia.
The beading is so exquisite that many people say
the finished work looks like fine lacework. Often
times the designs used when beading are taken
from Haudenosaunee cosmology, clan symbols,
or woodland designs of flowers, vines, and
leaves.
•
•Dresses
•
•Haudenosaunee women wear dresses made of
deerskin, which are decorated with
Haudenosaunee designs using porcupine quills
or beading. Also silver brooches are used to
decorate women's dresses. Today the
Haudenosaunee have incorporated cloth, like
wool, broadcloth, and calico into the materials
used to make the dress, but the styles remains
the same as it did from time immemorial. One
type of women's regalia is the overdress, which is
fitted at the waist and flares out. The bottom edge
of this dress is left with an open upside down V
shape, and is beaded. The neck portion of the
dress may have a collar, which is beaded, or it
may have a rounded neck. If the dress has a
rounded neck, then a beaded collar is usually
worn to add beauty to the top of the dress.
Sometimes women wear sashes or leather belts
around their waists, which looks very nice.
•
•Skirts & Leggings
•
•With the overdress a skirt and leggings are always
worn. The skirt can be made of deerskin, or cloth.
Today many women's skirts are made from
broadcloth or wool, and are elegantly beaded
along the bottom border and edge. The skirt fits
around the waist and is long enough to come mid
way between the knee and ankle. Legging can be
made from leather, or cloth. Most leggings today
are made from cloth, broadcloth, or wool.
Leggings are tied just above the knee and must
be long enough to just touch the top of the
moccasin. The legging is made so that at the
bottom edge is an inverted V shape that is worn
facing the center of the ankle. The bottom
boarder and edge of the legging is decorated with
beading and sometimes ribbons. The moccasins
are the same for both men and women. The
Haudenosaunee made footwear out of braided
cornhusks that both men and women wear.
•
The Haudenosaunee also wore fur robes and mantles
that were also decorated. I did not get a chance
to go into the beaded purses and other clothing
the Haudenosaunee wore and still wear when
gathering to go to the Longhouse for ceremony or
other important event. I hope this essay has
helped to shed a light on Haudenosaunee
regalia.
Family Life