About Choctaw Indian Dress
The Choctaw tribe of Indians once lived in the area now known as Mississippi, but were forced to vacate their lands during the early part of the 19th century. They moved towards Oklahoma, where many descendants still live today. The clothing and style of dress has changed significantly over the years, as the tribe grew smaller and began living with English settlers.
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Types
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There's a big difference between the dress the Choctaw adopted for day-to-day activities as compared to what they wore during special ceremonies. The ceremonial clothing was much brighter and those who made the clothes took special care with the preparation. Women wore brightly-colored clothing with a lot of ruffles and decoration, while the men chose decorated pants and shirts. These clothes were also marked with decorations relating to nature such as animals, the sun and stars. The women would also wear jewelry, combs and ribbons during ceremonies, but these accessories were not worn normally.
Function
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Today Choctaw Indians are very particular about their dress and it isn't a common thing to see the decorated pieces. Those in the tribe only wear the special clothing during ceremonies and specific events relating to the tribe such as a historical reenactment. At any other time they wear the same dress and clothing as anyone else. The point of wearing the older and more elaborate pieces is to show the passion and connection the descendants have with their older relatives.
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History
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As the white settlers arrive in the area, the Choctaw drew inspiration from their clothing and began making clothing out of the wool material readily available. In addition the color palate changed from darker colors to a predominance of red and blue tones. The influx of British and French settlers forced the Choctaw to adapt their dress to fit in with the new people. Decorative animals on their clothing was swapped for tomahawk decoration, which they also adopted as a tribe symbol.
Identification
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Early female clothing looks very simple because it was: the women literally cut a hole in a piece of cloth and wore it as a dress. It wasn't until later that they began adding glass beads and colors to their clothing. Historians also note that the Choctaw began drawing inspiration from other tribes like the Seminoles and adopted some of their clothing styles like the long shirts made for men. Men and women in the tribes did not wear shoes because even deerskin moccasins were difficult to find. Instead, they wore thick socks made from sheep's wool, which they grew on the reservations.
Features
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Choctaw Indian men dressed in buckskin clothing, typically tight fitting-pants known as leggings with underclothes. Those who ranked higher in the tribe were allowed to use more ornamentation. When riding into battle, the men wore feathers as decoration and these feathers were usually worn in the hair like a headdress. Women wore long dresses with quite a bit of fringe and a lot of decoration. It was common to find beads and different-colored fabric woven together to create one simple dress.
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