Native American Turban

Fur turbans (or rather, “crowns”) have much in common with other Native American fur hats or headbands, but nevertheless they are traditionally considered separately, since they were a status symbol and included in the ranking system in a number of tribes. These clothes were worn either at any time of the year, or they preferred winter - for warmth. So at Skid Pawnee, the highest rank was indicated by the skin of a wild cat. Then came the skin of a fox. A lower rank was indicated by a cloth turban. In the southern Pawnee group, there was another gradation: first a wild cat, then a big squirrel. Omaha wore turbans of soft white leather. Experienced Ponk warriors wore foxhide clothing and an eagle feather on the back of their heads. The leaders of the ponks had the right to wear a turban from the skin of an otter. He was also complemented by the feathers of an eagle on the back of his head. A turban made from the skin of an otter was a sign of high rank among the Ponks, Osage , Kanz , Cheyenne and others.

Otter-skin turbanes were the most preferred; accordingly, there were many options for their design and decoration. Some fur turbans are distinguished by a triangular tail sticking horizontally laterally to the right or left. The tail could be sewn down, side or back, or fit around the circumference of the garment. Could be absent altogether. Sometimes the skin was left from the head of the otter, which also stuck to the side, sometimes forking into two halves. The fur surface of the turban may generally remain without additional decorations, but often it is embroidered in different ways: for example, it has a single diagonal strip embroidered with beads or large round beaded medallions, and a floral ornament. They also sewed large metal plates, round mirrors and conchas ( Spanish conchas - shells) - plates made of German silver ( nickel silver or nickel silver ). Sheathed also with buttons and ten-cent coins. The tail and the head of the skin were also adorned. As suspensions were used and wolf tails. Some of the turbans were girded with a wide metal band hoop. A variety of additional suspensions are added. Sometimes there is one sideways horn. Oriental Sioux and Mandanas also wore fur turbans along with a rook , which was more characteristic of cloth turbans.

A turban of white or red shawl or patterned printed chintz at the Sidi Pawnee stood at the third level of ranks. Ordinary Pawnee warriors could wear cloth turbans wound from woven belts. They weaved from threads of five colors and had fringe at the ends. Like belts they were worn by boys from noble families and young women. They were often wound around their heads so that fringes hung over the sides of their faces. An eagle feather was placed on the back of the head.

Different ways of wearing cloth turbans were practiced in the tribes of the eastern forests. They were made from belts, from colorful scarves of bright colors. Used various types of fabrics: chintz, wool, linen, silk. Could cover one fabric with another, more expensive. Handkerchiefs were twisted in the width of the palm and then wound on the head. Or used tapes of matter no longer than five meters. Often the turbans had an open top. This allowed them to be combined with a roach or some feather ornament, for example, a bunch of beards stripped from feathers. One or more feathers, including an ostrich, could be arbitrarily inserted into the folds of the bandage. In the Southeast, feathers of a heron were considered honorable. Some Ojibwe tied the turban from the outside with a cord, under which a lot of eagle feathers were inserted around, but which, due to such an unreliable fastening, took any arbitrary position. Some turbans were just a narrow headband made of twisted fabric, but in some eastern tribes there were quite large ones, similar to Asian ones. Sometimes a head scarf was tied simply in the style of a bandana . Seminoles , besides the usual ones, had turbans with a rigid frame in the form of large cylinders. On top of the turban, a hoop of sheet metal can be worn of various widths: tin, German silver , less often of real silver, decorated with a slotted pattern.

• Crown of feathers
• Hats with horns
• Gastoveh
• Eagle feather law
• Feathers of the Indians
• Roach
• Feather trimmed hat

• Stukalin Yu. V. Encyclopedia of military art of the Indians of the Wild West. - M .: Yauza, Eksmo, 2008 .-- S. 276. - 688 p. - (Warriors of the Wild West). - ISBN 978-5-699-26209-0 .
• Koch RP Dress Clothing of the Plains Indians. - Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977. - Ch. 9. - (The Civilization of the American Indian series; 140). - ISBN 0-8061-1372-3 , ISBN 0-8061-2137-8 (pbk.).
• Mails Thomas E. The Mystic Warriors of the Plains. - Tulsa, Oklahoma: Council Oak Books, 1991 .-- S. 387, 389. (English) .

• Turbans
• Native American Turbans