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
