Page 43 - Alderville First Nation

Clothing

Television and the movies have created the
image of “Indians” dressed in buckskin and
feathers. This description of how First Nations
people dressed in the time before Europeans
came to North America is not real.

Each cultural group had their own specific
form of clothing made from materials found
in their environment. The Anishinaabeg
did use buckskin and other animal hides to
fashion their clothing. Feathers, though, were
not everyday attire; they were only used in
ceremonial settings.

It is difficult to imagine, but some people still
picture the television image when they think
of First Nations people. When they visit a First
Nations community, they might ask, “Where are
all the Indians?”

For generations, people in our community
have dressed in much the same way as
the average Canadian in southern Ontario.
Traditional dress is used in ceremonies, such as
powwows. However, not everyone participates
in these events wearing traditional dress.

At one time in our history, we might have
been identified by what we wore, but in
contemporary times, we’re more likely to dress
like those around us..

WORDS TO KNOW
generation: all the people born around the
same time

This jingle dress dancer might wear her dress at a
powwow, but not in her day-to-day life.

Alderville First Nation 41

ogemawahj_community_book3.indd 41 2019-02-28 10:57 AM