Page 45 - Mississaugas of Scugog Island 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 accurate.

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 TV image when they think of First Nations
people. When they visit a First Nations community, they might
ask, “Where are all the Indigenous people?”

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 dancers
wearing traditional regalia in 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.

Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation 43

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