Native American Unit Home - Regalia
My regalia is based
on the Sioux Indians. During this project I had a little bit of fun making it,
the only thing that I didn't like was the researching, but I still learned a
little. I had a lot of books out from the library to help me make my regalia.
My pants were made with fake fur glued on some old pants. For real, the Sioux Indians used buffalo hide. When I made my over shirt, I took an over sized shirt, cut it in half, fringed the bottom, sewed the bottom of the sleeves to make fringe there and painted a lizard on it. I did that by taking a picture of a real Native American design and copied it on the back of my over shirt. After that I painted it. The reason I chose a lizard is because it means long life. Again it would have been made of buffalo hide, but I used a brown cotton shirt.
The under shirt was simple because all I did was fringe the bottom. The head band I made with a strip of cloth and fake eagle feathers. The eagle feather with the red dot on it means the Indian wearing it killed an enemy, the one with a slit on the left side means he got third coup, the ruffled feather means he got fourth coup, and the one with the top cut off means he slit an enemy's throat. A coup feather shows that the Indian wearing it has touched an enemy with a coup stick which is also used to steal enemy's weapon or shield with out getting hurt. Last but not least my breast plate is made of straws and beads. This is how I made my regalia.
Interesting facts:
Once a year they did a dance called the Sun Dance; it was where they all tortured themselves. They thought it would please the gods. The President thought it was bad so he didn't let them do it. Did you know that they used almost every part of the buffalo? The most famous Sioux Indian chief was Sitting Bull because he was considered the last Sioux Indian to surrender and made 16 quotes. Here are two: "You may think I am a fool, but you are a greater fool than I am" and, "It is not necessary for a crow to be an eagle."
Bibliography
Thomson, Ruth. Indians of the Plains. Danbury: Franklen Watts 1991
Mcgovener, Ann. ...If you lived with the Sioux Indians. New York: Scholastic Inc.
Murdoch, David. North American Indian. London: Dorling Kindersley 1995
"Sioux Indians." Union Generals.
Son of the South. 10/21/06 paul@sonofthesouth.net.
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sioux-indians/sioux-indians.htm
Note: No post or create date available
"Sitting Bull". Powerful People.
10/21/06
http://www.powersource.com/gallery/people/sittbull.html
Note: No post or create date available.
No author or e-mail address available