Information on Indian Feather Headbands

Feathered headwear often had no special significance in American Indian tribes.

Indian feather headbands have long been associated with the depiction of Native Americans in movies, television, drawings, paintings and novels. They were not as prevalent as these mediums frequently project.

Headband Wearers

Only a few tribes of the Iroquois and Alonquins in the northeast Woodlands commonly wore feather headbands. Other popularly featured feathered war bonnets were favored by only a few Great Plains tribes, like the Plains Cree, Blackfeet, Sioux, Crow and Cheyenne.

Materials

Feather headbands were usually made of hand-woven or beaded strips of deerskin that had tribal designs and symbols painted or embroidered on them. Feathers from various birds, like cranes, eagles, hawks, turkey and egrets, were frequently tucked into the back of the headband.

Significance

Most Native American men and women wore headbands for beauty and adornment. Despite common beliefs, the feathers did not usually have anything to do with war, symbolic acts or rank. However, some tribes restricted the wearing of eagle feathers to warriors.

References

• Native-Languages.org: Information on Indian Feather Headbands
• Wingmasters.net: Information on Indian Feather Headbands