When spectators attend powwows, they are mesmerized by the sights and sounds of a culture unlike their own. Unless they are seasoned visitors, the spectators will not realize the subtle differences in the regalia of each dancer. Each dancer, no matter the category, will have embellishments of their own tribal identity and material culture. A hard dance category to decipher by the untrained eye is women’s southern cloth. The dresses are simple in design, but what they excel in contrast is the ribbon appliqué that each skirt and shawl will have on display as well as the highly decorated accessories. This is a newer style of dress for southern women, who will have cloth or buckskin dresses.
Looking at the Southern Cloth Dress
There are two different styles of the southern cloth dresses. One style is the single piece dress, also known as the T-dress, and therefore it is simple construction of two pieces of fabric which are in the shape of a letter ‘t’ with ribbon work applied to the sleeves and around the bottom of the dress. The second style is a two main piece outfit. There is the skirt, and the slightly oversized shirt. With the skirt, it depends on the what tribe the dancer comes from when she chooses the type of skirt she will wear.
Some women wear what is termed a wraparound style of skirt. The ribbon work will be located around the bottom of the skirt, and continue up the edge of the front flap. It ends at the waist. The appliqué will be layered ribbons in wide bands. Sometimes the ribbon work design on the hemline will be differently colored then the ribbon work on the front flap. There is another type of skirt that some tribes wear, which is banded wool, many times salvage, with flower embroidery present instead of the ribbon work/ appliqué. The shirts can be any type of fabric, but at times they are plain, without adornment, because accessories tend to be highly decorated and well crafted. A belt is not used.
Ribbon Work and Dance Accessories at a Glance
Ribbon work, also termed ribbon appliqué, is stylized to identify the dancer’s tribe or family as associated to the southern woman’s cloth dress. Ribbon work itself is an old style of art that has evolved and has become more complex over the decades. The ribbon work for the southern woman’s dress is used to decorate many articles and areas. The hem of the skirt, the panel of the skirt, the drop that connects at the neck and hangs down to the hem of the skirt, as well as on the shawl all have embellishments of ribbon work. Tribes considered to be woodland in origin will have ribbon work that looks to be scrolling and denote memory of the natural world. Southern women dancers of the Delaware Tribe use a lot of complex geometric ribbon work, whereas the Lakota geometric is intriguing, but simpler then the Delaware. Sometimes colors are used to symbolize meaning and feelings that the tribe and the dancer believes in and shares.
Aside from the ribbon work, the outfit is finished off with the accessories. That includes headbands or crowns, purses, moccasins, chokers, hair ties, earrings, shawls and fans. Options to the list are a scarf, a half size woman’s style breastplate, as well as many silver pins. Depending on the reason associated with the tribe, a woman can also wear an eagle feather or plume in her hair as she dances. Many of the accessories will be beaded.
When talking of southern women dancers at powwows, many times it is referring to the style of dance that can be seen from the tribes located in Oklahoma. Once the dancer enters the arena, or dance area, her movements will be steady, she will be straight backed, with slightly exaggerated elbows for the shawl to move, and a bounce that is rhythmically connected to the drum. The full shawl or half shawl is draped on the left arm. On the right side, the purse and fan are located. The purse around the wrist, and the fan held in the hand. The dancer is in her own world where only the drums and her footsteps exist.
Sources:
- Browner, Tara. (2000). “Contemporary Native American Powwow Dancing”. I See America Dancing. Maureen Needham, editor. Chicago, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
- Kelley, Helen. (1999). Scarlet Ribbons: American Indian Techniques for Today’s Quilters. Folsom, Louisiana: Written Heritage.
- Torrence, Gaylord, Hobbs, Roberts. (1989). Art of the Red Earth People. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Museum of Art. Distributed by the University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington.
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