Tuesday, January 24, 2012

What did the people of the Powhatan tribe wear?



What did the people of the Powhatan tribe wear?

Because I am so passionate about clothes, I was very interested in what the people of the Powhatan tribe looked liked as well as what they wore after reading John Smith’s work. Based on what he wrote, John Smith gave an overview of what the Powhatan tribe looked like and how they dressed. In his writings, he tells the reader how the male Indians have half of their head shaved, while growing long black hair on the other half. The Powhatan tribe wore very little clothing in the warmer months. They would tie a layer of deerskin around their waist to cover themselves up.

Now, I know that by wearing this they were being modest in covering themselves up but this is something I could NEVER wear. The thought of having a freshly skinned deer rubbing up against my body just gives me the chills. However, I completely understand why they wore articles of clothing such as this. Essentially they did not contain the intellect of technological developments that the Europeans had. Therefore, they made clothes out of the only materials that were presented to them.

Typically, the Powhatan women would make the clothes for the tribe. When the weather got colder, the men would wear baggy fringed sleeved tops and some sort of pant, which was draped over by a fur coat. In case any PETA lovers are reading this, I’m sorry to say that yes, this was made out of real fur. http://www.historyisfun.org/visitus/documents/LivingwiththeIndians.pdf

On a brighter note, the Powhatan tribe lived through accessories, which every girl in the twenty first LOVES. Something that I found to be interesting was the fact that certain materials such as bones, pearls, and shells were used to make accessories that embodied a certain status. The more bracelets, necklaces, and rings you had, the higher your status. Also, the women and men of this tribe would cover themselves in "paint" or mud. They would specifically draw certain designs and images that contained a special meaning in their culture. Animals such as birds would be coated over their body not only giving them a special flair, but also protecting them from the harsh sun. http://www.historyisfun.org/visitus/documents/LivingwiththeIndians.pdf

To the left is a link to a YouTube video which talks a little bit about the Powhatan tribe and Pocahontas. The thing that caught my eye in this clip was the pictures in the background. The images truly embody the culture and shows the viewer exactly how the Powhatan tribe dressed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BRuQ3glx3Q