History of Fashion: Native North American Dresses in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century [Video]

This briefly overviews Native North American Dresses in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century. I used the source “Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women’s Dresses” (2007), edited by Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota). This book is associated with the “National Museum of the American Indian” Smithsonian Institution. In addition, six Native Indigenous women artists from the Plains, Plateau, and Great Basin contributed to this book. This includes Jamie Okuma (Lusieño/ Shoshone-Bannock), Gladys Jefferson (Crow), Joyce Growing Thunder Fogarty (Assiniboine/Sioux), Jackie Parsons (Blackfeet), Keri Jhane Myers (Comanche), and Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty (Assiniboine/Sioux).

This source examines the stories and symbolism linked with Native American dress, the creativity and cosmopolitanism of women’s enduring traditions, and how dresses were expressions of cultural identity. This book reflects on how dress styles reflect cultural continuity and adaptation in the face of colonialism.

Disclaimer: This video is made for the ‘History of Fashion and “Costume” Design’ class, which is a college class in the Theater Department.