Object: Ornament

E/1956/2/32
Feather ornament (or “tail”)
Machiguena
Peru
ca 1955
Materials: Feathers, cloth twine

This feather ornament is described in the Ethnology catalog as a “tail” that is meant to be attached to the back of a man’s robe, called a manchakintsi or cushma. The donor that collected with particular “tail” also donated the cushma it was meant to go with, E/1956/2/11, shown on the right. These objects were made by a member of the Machiguenga tribe of Peru. The Machiguenga are a part of the Arawakan linguistic family, a group of languages spoken throughout South and Central America. The Machiguenga live in the upper mountain rain forest of Southeastern Peru. The Machiguenga grow manioc, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, peanuts and a variety of other crops in small agricultural plots cleared out of the forest. They supplement their diet by hunting, fishing and gathering other native foods from the forest. Feather ornaments, especially crowns and necklaces are popular amongst the Machiguenga.

Do you know any additional information on this type of ornament? Can you identify the type of feathers used? Let us know what you know. Provide a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan@ou.edu. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Headdress

E/1945/2/1
Hair roach headdress
Unknown tribe
North America: Plains
ca. 1900
Materials: Hair, bone, feather, cloth, and metal

The hair roach headdress has been a popular form of personal adornment amongst Native American tribes since at least the 19th century. The origins of this style headdress are unclear but some have suggested it was influenced by the red crest of the Pileated Woodpecker, or the style of “roaching” a horse’s mane, or was an adaptation of the “Mohawk” hairstyle.

Hair roaches like this one are made by attaching bundles of hair to a base cord. The base cord is then sewn together in concentric loops, starting at the inside of the roach and working outward. A “spreader” holds the hair of the roach open and helps to attach the ties that are used to secure the roach to the wearer’s head. The size and shape of the spreader affects how the hair of the roach stands and changes the overall look of the roach. Spreaders can be made of rawhide, bone, or metal. This example of a child sized roach from the Sam Noble Museum has a bone spreader, possibly from the scapula of a bison and the hair appears to be either deer or horse.  In modern Fancy Dance regalia, feathers are attached to the spreader on either a “rocker” or a “spinner.” These attachments are designed to make the feathers move more vigorously when dancing.

The following video demonstrates how to care for and store a porcupine hair roach headdress. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Headdress

E/1982/11/9
Headdress
Niitsítapi (aka. Blackfoot Confederacy)
North America: Northern Plains or Southern Canada
unknown date (likely early 20th century)
Materials: Felt, ermine (or weasel) fur, feathers, glass beads, wood, and cotton cloth

This headdress has been attributed to the Niitsítapi people of the northern United States and southern Canada. Niitsítapi, also known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, consists of four separate yet related tribes. These tribes include the Aapátohsipikáni (or North Peigan), Aamsskáápipikani (Piegan Blackfeet or South Piegan), Káínaa (Kainai Nation), and the Siksikáwa (or Siksika Nation “Blackfoot”). These groups share a common dialect of the Algonquin language, they also historically worked together for mutual defense, and frequently intermarry.

The fur found on this headdress comes from ermine pelts. Ermine (Mustela erminea), sometimes called short tailed weasels or stoat, are a species of small carnivorous weasel that is common throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. They were recently introduced in New Zealand as well, and have since become a pest species causing catastrophic losses to native bird species. Ermine live in a wide variety of habitats including: woodlands, marshes, and open areas adjacent to forests or shrub borders. While ermine spend most of their time on the ground they can also climb trees and swim. Ermine use tree roots, hollow logs, stone walls, and rodent burrows as dens. Ermine are carnivores that hunt primarily at night. They primarily eat small mammals of rabbit size and smaller but, when prey is scarce, they can also eat birds, eggs, worms, frogs, fish, and insects. In severe climates, ermine frequently hunt under snow or in burrows and can survive entirely on small rodents.

Similar headdresses can be found at the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, the British Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and others. [Kathryn S. (Barr) McCloud]

Object: Kiowa Fan

E/1951/13/23
Kiowa: Peyote Fan
20th Century
United States: Plains
Materials: Feathers, beads, and buckskin

A peyote fan is an essential object for a peyote meeting. This Kiowa fan incorporates some of the main materials that are used in peyote fans.

The peyote religion is a sacred, yet often misunderstood, spiritual practice of some Plains Indian tribes. Peyote is the major sacrament of the Native American Church. The church has faced its share of scrutiny from the U.S. government and Christian followers. The spiritual use of peyote has its beginnings among indigenous groups in Mexico and the Southwestern part of the United States.

The plains groups learned about peyote in the late 19^th century. The Comanche chief Quanah Parker brought it to his people after he was reportedly treated with it in Mexico. He later established the Native American Church, a combination of Christian concepts and traditional indigenous beliefs. Members of the Native American Church believe that peyote is a gift from God. They have a variety of art, objects, and symbolism that is incorporated with their ceremonies and beliefs.

Fans are very important for several reasons. First, the number of feathers in a fan can represent family members. Secondly, the fans are specifically made for individuals. This fan is 22” and is made with hawk feathers. Some peyote fans are made with eagle feathers, macaw, scissortail and even roadrunner feathers. This fan may have been used while cedaring or blessing a person. In effect, the fan brushes away evil spirits. This all takes place during the ceremony.

This Kiowa fan has a buckskin handle and the feathers are partially beaded with the colored glass beads. This bead pattern is consistent to Kiowa and other Plains styles. Beadwork patterns vary from regions and tribes. This fan was likely made before the 1940’s, since it was cataloged in the museum collection in 1952. During that time period, the peyote cult was highly controversial and illegal in the United States. Native Americans were also facing other obstacles in that time period. Since the turn of the 20th century, the Kiowa tribe has resided in Oklahoma due to the Indian Removal Acts. In 1993 the Religious Freedom Act was reinstated. Now, the Native American Church and tribal followers legally consume peyote for religious purposes. Today, there are an estimated 250,000 to 400,00 members of the church.

[Alana Cox]

Object: Dagger

E/2004/6/41
Asmat: Cassowary bone dagger
Indonesia, Irian Jaya
Date Unknown
Materials: Bone, grasses, feathers

This dagger was made from the long bone of a cassowary. The handle of the dagger has been covered with woven grass and cassowary feathers hang from either side.

This particular style of bone dagger is associated with the Asmat. The Asmat people live in the western half of New Guinea formerly known as Irian Jaya. Their tribal lands are on the west coast of the mainland and share some overlap with the Lorentz National Park.

A cassowary is a bird found in the rainforests of Australia and New Guinea. It is a large, flightless bird and is just slightly smaller than an emu. Cassowaries are revered by many groups in Indonesia because they can be extremely aggressive animals. In many cases, cassowaries are seen as supernatural creatures. The oral tradition of the Asmat contains origin stories in which the cassowary is portrayed as the mother of all human beings. Perhaps because of this myth, the cassowary is always thought to be female. Despite this, the cassowary is a symbol of masculinity and male strength among the Asmat and is associated with warfare and rites to manhood.

According to the Asmat, no death is accidental. Deaths occur either due to murder or sorcery. For this reason, each death must be avenged. The Asmat believe that the souls of their dead dwell inside of the trees. In order to pay homage to their dead, the Asmat carve ancestor bis poles (also known as bisj or beech poles). These poles also serve as a reminder that the death must be avenged.

When a member of the Asmat dies, the bis pole carving begins. This also sets off a series of feasts and celebrations. This ongoing process eventually culminates in a headhunting raid of the neighboring enemy group believed to be the source of the death. While headhunting occurs only occasionally among the Asmat today, mock battles are still held. Taking the head of an enemy was essential to restoring the cosmic balance. So it is through this cycle of warfare that the Asmat continually restore order.

[Kelsey Barrow]

Object: Figurine

E/1989/1/12
Sioux: Dancer Doll
North America
20th Century
Materials: wood, feathers, beads, leather

This object is a Northern Plains style traditional “fancy dance” doll. It measures about 14.5 inches in height. The body of the doll is made of carved wood and is painted brown, with red paint under the eyes and across the face. The doll has black braided hair wrapped in brown leather. A hair roach made from deer hair and two blue feathers is attached. The doll is wearing a headband; it is beaded with seed beads of white, red, yellow, brown, and blue and contains a small rosette at the center of the forehead. A line of white beads hangs from the headband around each eye. The doll is wearing a silver and turquoise beaded choker and two wrist bands made from seed beads and leather fringe. The dance costume is comprised of gray suede material with a machine-stitched design. A band of bells is attached at the knees.

The back of the doll contains a gray suede bustle and beaded rosette. The bustle contains 22 blue and white Blue Jay feathers. A beaded rosette is at the center of the gray suede bustle. Two leather shoulder straps are decorated with white, red, yellow, blue, and black beads. The doll’s legs are painted black from below the knee to the mid-thigh and are covered in white rabbit fur. The figure is in a dancing position, mounted on an oval, wooden stand.

The dancing doll is fashioned in the Northern Plains style of a Sioux dancer. The regalia is similar to that used in a contemporary dance called the fancy dance. When many Native American religious dances were outlawed by the United States and Canadian governments in the 1920s and 1930s, the fancy dance style was created to allow communities to continue dancing in public. The fancy dance style originated in Oklahoma and was initially performed for spectators of wild west shows. The style grew in popularity, however, and is now one of the most anticipated dances at modern Pow Wows.

[Lauren Simons]

Object: Basket

E/1982/11/403

Pomo Tribes: Feather Basket
North America
Early 20th Century
Materials: Feathers, Grasses

This object is a Pomo feather basket from the early 1900s. The “Pomo” name was originally ascribed to Indian tribes living in the area of present day California during the turn of the century, though researchers have since noted that over 70 different groups were represented by the name. Basketry techniques and styles were similar among the groups, however, especially in the production of feather baskets. This basket is small and measures only 3 inches wide (about the size of a baseball). It features a coiled construction– formed by small bundles of grasses stitched into a spiral to create the round shape and coiled body of the basket.

The yellow feathers on the basket come from the Western Meadowlark (see figure left). The Western Meadowlark is a North American species of the blackbird family. It lives in grassland areas primarily west of the Great Plains. The red feathers on the basket come from the Acorn Woodpecker (see figure right). The Acorn Woodpecker is a species of woodpecker that lives in the western and southwestern portions of the United States. Pomo baskets are produced by both men and women. Basketmakers collect the bright yellow feathers of the meadowlark and the small red feathers of the woodpecker with respect and reverence for the birds. In fact, many Pomo basketmakers, such as Mabel McKay, regard feather baskets as living entities in themselves and are careful to honor the spirit of the baskets. Just like the birds represented in the baskets, Pomo feather baskets are unique and come in many different types. They serve a variety of purposes and have been produced for ceremonial and religious contexts, daily use, and even tourism.

What do you think about this basket? Share your thoughts and enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[Lauren Simons]