American Indian tribes in kilts; tribe tartan?

[Tarheel]

If Grandma ever told you you have high cheek bones because great, great grandma was Cheerokee, you're entitled to wear the Cherokee tartan.

Ditto, from my grandmothers. They were also calling us heathens at the time (in a loving way).

[freep]

Based upon a little bit of knowledge it's my guess that did any Native Americans wear an actual kilt it was a style borrowed from a Scots trader or settler. Many tribes wore an apron or wrap-type garment but it was not a kilt as such. Many more wore breechclouts. All of these could look quite "kilt-ish" in drawings or paintings.

As to the wearing of eagle feathers, there were as many customs and traditions to the wearing thereof as there were tribes. I'm not solid enough on my knowledge of early eastern tribal customs as to eagle or other feather customs t speak to them, but very loosely speaking, west of the Mississippi wearing eagle feathers was tied to prowess in battle and the practice of "counting coup." The reason many observers defined wearers of many eagle feathers as "chiefs" where often they were not is due to the fact that the best warriors had the most feathers, generally. Put another way, when you're looking at the feathers you're looking at medals, not rank insignia. Again, there was much variation in custom between the tribes.

A final consideration--when discussing historical custom, dress or geography it's very important to ask the question "when." For example, those maps you see of where Scottish Clan territories lay are only correct for a very narrow period of time, e.g. on many most of Argyll shows as Campbell land, but before the Campbells came to power it belonged to the MacDougalls, Gregors, Lamonts and others and before that to yet other clans and peoples. Another example--Richard White, Phd. wrote an excellent article called "Winning the West. . . " White Europeans are not mentioned at all as the main topic is the migration of the Lakota people from around the Great Lakes onto the plains where they engaged in a war of conquest over those already in place.

Of course a bit closer to home re: this forum, if you want to wear a traditional kilt in a traditional manner, accessorized as such you need to ask to what historical period you are assigning the term "traditional."

[Michael Weatherhead]

If Grandma ever told you you have high cheek bones because great, great grandma was Cheerokee, you're entitled to wear the Cherokee tartan.

We were always told us about our pronounced cheek bones (believe me, my mom, hers bros and sis's, my Grandma had BIG high cheek bones). My Grandma told me that it was due to Cherokee in our line. It seems like everybody you talk to has Cherokee blood. In doing my geneology, I haven't yet found this to be true. But I'll keep digging.

[freep]

I remember seeing photos of American Indians dressed in their own native clothing (buckskin, jewelry, etc), and also wearing tartan. I also remember learning that the Cherokee nation has its own recognized tartan. I did an internet search, just now, but details were sketchy. Does anybody know about this? If the Cherokees have their own tartan, do any other tribes? The Cherokee would have had a lot of interaction with the early Scottish settlers, in the Appalachian mtns. So, it would make sense that they would do this. But other tribes must have had dealings with the Scots, as well.

Cherokee tartan registered 1995 on www.tartanregister.gov.uk, therefore hardly an 18th-19th c. pattern.

[DyerStraits]

It is rather interesting--and very cool--that tartan-like patterns are popular with the kilt-like garments of other non-Highland cultures, like Southeast Asian sarongs and the Maasai Shúkà, for example:


http://style.mtv.com//wp-content/upl...nas-africa.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...d/Sarungan.jpg

[freep]

It is rather interesting--and very cool--that tartan-like patterns are popular with the kilt-like garments of other non-Highland cultures, like Southeast Asian sarongs and the Maasai Shúkà, for example:


http://style.mtv.com//wp-content/upl...nas-africa.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...d/Sarungan.jpg

It is interesting. Kind of amazing even, how many things seem to be universally human, patterns, symbols and the like. Consider the swastika--a symbol found in virtually every culture around the world. Usually it carried implications of good luck and the like, pity it was appropriated to eventually symbolize the ultimate evil. Huh. That was depressing. Good thing there's no equivalent in tartan, eh?

I wonder if the pictures above show indigenous fabric patterns or were introduced from outside?

[DyerStraits]

It is interesting. Kind of amazing even, how many things seem to be universally human, patterns, symbols and the like. Consider the swastika--a symbol found in virtually every culture around the world. Usually it carried implications of good luck and the like, pity it was appropriated to eventually symbolize the ultimate evil. Huh. That was depressing. Good thing there's no equivalent in tartan, eh?

I wonder if the pictures above show indigenous fabric patterns or were introduced from outside?

Good question, although the Maasai in general do favor red and I've read that the Maasai in one particular area prefer stripes.

You're absolutely right about the universality and connected-ness of cultures, and the bagpipe is a good example--despite its strong association with Scotland, the instrument apparently originated in the Near- or Middle-East. And then there is the idea that the kilt itself was originally a Highland adaptation of a similar garment worn by the Vikings, and the word "kilt" possibly has a Norse etymology, and the word "tartan" has a Middle/Old French one...