Native American Historical Plains Costumes

Native American Historical Plains Costumes :

Practical horse tack and extraordinary ceremonial regalia reflecting the Plains Tribes dependency upon the buffalo. Historical Plains Tribes included the Arapajo, Assiniboine, Blackfoot, Cayuse, Cheyenne, Comanche, Cree, Crow, Hidatsa, Kiowa, Mandan, Nez Perce, Pawnee, Omaha, Osage, Shoshone, Sioux, Ute, and Wichita. Each tribe has customs, designs and color choices which were unique to that Native American Nation. For example, clothing and leather color trends are yellow-green in the far south, yellow-tan in the southern-central plains, gray-tan in the northern central plains, and gray-white or reddish-purple in the far north because of the different plant species available in the different regions to add to the solutions used to cure and dye leather. Also beading and quilling designs and colors were unique to certain tribes. For example, the Crow preferred geometric patterns, while the Blackfoot tribes used floral motifs. The Cheyenne used much yellow and green in their beadwork, while Sioux preferred light blue. Saddle styles ranged from a small flat stuffed pad to a graceful wishbone or chicken bone shaped, rawhide covered wooden saddletree with high pommel and cantle. (See photos Blackfoot, Cayuse, Cheyenne, Two, Comanche, Crow, Nez Perce, Plains, Sioux, Various Flat Saddles, Wishbone Style Saddles below) Horses, mules or donkeys are allowed.

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	Photo Credit: Blackfoot The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails
Photo Credit: Cayuse Cayuse - Through Indian Eyes by Readers Digest.
	Photo Credit: Cheyenne Through Indian Eyes by Readers Digest.
Photo Credit: Cheyenne The World of the American Indian by The National Geographic Society.
	Photo Credit: Comanche Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship by Deb Bennett, Ph.D.
Photo Credit: Crow Parade Newspaper Ad.
	Photo Credit: Crow The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails.
Photo Credit: Crow The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails.
	Photo Credit: Nez Perce Cavalry: The History of a Fighting Elite by Dr. Zvonimir Grbasic and Velimir Vuksic.
Photo Credit: Nez Perce National Geographic Magazine.
	Photo Credit: Plains National Geographic Magazine.
Photo Credit: Plains National Geographic Magazine.
	Photo Credit: Sioux The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails.
	Photo Credit: Buffalo Hunter The World of the American Indian by The National Geographic Society.
Photo Credit: Buffalo Hunter National Geographic Magazine.
	Photo Credit: Buffalo Hunter The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails
Photo Credit: Various Flat Saddles The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails.
	Photo Credit: Wishbone Style Saddles The Mystic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas E. Mails

Approved by IMEHA BoD 2010

Updated: January 16, 2013

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