INDIAN COSTUMES KRIEGER 629 



A piece of bast fiber several feet long, collected by Markham from 

 the Tule Indians of the San Bias coast of Panama, consists of the 

 bast of the castilla tree and is much used in making looped ham- 

 mocks, bark cloth, and breech clouts. (Cat. No. 326823, U. S. N. M.) 

 A similar practice has been observed among the Choco Indians of the 

 Atrato and San Juan Eiver Valleys of Colombia, 



Uses of feathers in Indian dress.— In Mexico and in South America 

 ornamental fabrics were obtained by overlaying cloth with feathers. 

 Throughout native America featherwork constitutes one of the most 

 characteristic developments of Indian dress extending as it does from 

 the Arctic Eskimoan tribes to the scantily clothed Amazonian tribes of 

 South America. Headdresses, skirts, cloaks, and mantles predominate, 

 while feather mosaics were badges of distinction. Mantles of turkey 

 feathers were plaited in the Pueblo area in the Southeastern States 

 along the Gulf of Mexico and eastward to the territory of the Iroquois. 



An example of the practical use of feathers may be seen in the 

 birdskin blankets of the Seri Indians of Tiburon Island, Sonora, 

 Mexico. The blanket is made from six skins of the California brown 

 pelican. The pelts of young birds are preferred. Portions of the 

 wing feathers and the breast are sewn together with sinew and the 

 garment so produced forms a complete dress. It is worn about the 

 middle, reaching from the waist, where it is secured by a girdle, to 

 below the knees. (Cat. 174554, U. S. N. M.) 



Feather insignia and headdresses were conspicuous among some of 

 the warlike tribes of the western plains. The handsome feathered 

 headdresses with long pennants of eagle feathers that have popularly 

 come to be considered a part of the dress of every Plains Indian were 

 formerly worn only by the most distinguished men. Every feather 

 in such a war bonnet had some significance as a military trophy or 

 a charm and had to do directly with the personal prowess of the 

 wearer. It is stated that the gift of an eagle feather by some in- 

 dividual entailed upon the recipient of the favor the performance of 

 a feat of bravery. The Dakota Sioux were especially addicted to 

 this custom. An ordinary Indian brave was generally entitled only 

 to a simpler headdress. Indian women were by custom not per- 

 mitted to wear feathers in their hair. 



Owing to the perishable nature of the material, most of the evi- 

 dences of artwork in feathers have disappeared from the northern 

 continent ; but, on the authority of old historians and the testimony 

 of a few precious examples still remaining, it is certain that these 

 were used from one extremity of the continent to another. The 

 Virginia Indians made robes of turkey feathers. All the Plains 

 Indians, the hunting tribes, decorated themselves with gorgeous 

 flowing head plumes, and many of the California tribes used feathers 

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