
196 American Indian Education
December, 2023

DECEMBER , 2023
-OJIBWE-manidoo-giizisoons na ; DAKOTA -wi'iakenoƞpa (12THMonth)
Boys With Braids.
For some indigenous men and boys, their braids are a symbol of strength, wisdom, and are something that reflects their identity. The tribal people have the belief that the three strands in a braid represent the body, mind, and spirit." Noting that hair overall connects you to Mother Earth.
For many of the Tribal people, the long hair is sacred. There have been studies that long hair is an extension of the nervous system which heightens sensory and intuition. The belief is that many Indigenous people believed that their hair was a strength when it came to hunting, going into battles, and detecting danger. Some Native Americans in the army during the World Wars felt that during training, they showed exceptional scouting skills and incredible intuition. However, they felt it would go away when their heads were shaved due to army protocol.
Later they would allow the Indigenous people to keep their long hair when they served the army.
Some books to Check out with your kiddos
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
Bear's Braid by Joelle Bearstail
Additional Resource's about Native American Men/Boys with Braids.
NATIVE AMERICAN HAIR & IDENTITY
Native American Tribes each have their own unique languages, traditional clothing, cooking styles, and belief systems that vary incredibly throughout Tribal communities. This also includes the length or how the style of their hair .
From birth to death, hair is respected as an intimate extension of the self as well as a connection to the world. There are some Tribal peoples that traditionally only cut in circumstances of mourning after the death of a family member or some Tribes hold haircutting ceremonies each spring to ensure health and success. There is no one way because the Tribes are all different.
Native American hair is an expression of identity and their hair is to be treated with respect and care. Hair cutting was a part of U.S. history that will not be forgotten by Native Americans. Boarding schools were institutions established in the early 20th century as a way to "kill the Indian and save the man," also known as assimilation. Native children were taken out of their homes and brought to boarding schools where they were forced to learn a foreign language called English, and were forcibly assimilated into mainstream American culture by cutting off their hair. The cutting of the hair was a sign of disrespect. Most Tribes have a method of taking care of the cut hair. Some Tribes burn with sage or sweetgrass in a ceremonial way or some will bury the hair.
Today, Native Americans are able to teach and share about the importance of their hair. As the Navajo Nation say “Walk in Beauty” which refers to seeking balance and harmony in all things by teaching the truths and complexities of our ancestors.
Life story: Zitkala-Sa
Assimilation
The cutting of hair at Boarding Schools of Native American students was an effort to assimilate Native Americans.
Thunders Hair
NATIVE AMERICAN FASHION UPDATE
NATIVE AMERICAN MODELS WITH BRAIDS
Native American fashion designers and models are bringing Native American Perspective to New York runway shows. Today, the fashion industry is featuring Native American models in Ralph Lauren and Pendleton advertisements. An up and coming Native American model is Phillip Bread. Bread is a rising model of the fashion community, recognized for his distinct embrace of his culture’s aesthetic traditions. The 24-year-old, who is of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Blackfoot Tribes, got an early start in modeling in Santa Fe, where he modeled traditional Kiowa Tribal clothing.
NATIVE AMERICAN HATS
The introduction of beadwork design is also becoming more common on the New York runway. Beadwork has always been a part of Native American clothing. The designs of each Tribe were very different and varied from floral to geometric designs. Today, beadwork has been added to contemporary clothing. Many Native American women are wearing contemporary beaded hats to events, offices and are featured on models on the runway.
Today’s Native American fashion is a celebration of identity and resilience.