Married or single feathers tell the story.

WhoMe · 06-28-2004, 03:44 PM

In a lot of tribes, it could be descerned whether a woman was single or married by how they wore their feathers.

In many northern plains and plateau tribes, women with one feather sticking straight up in the center or on the side, considered herself single. A woman who wore two feathers considered herself married.

In the south, you used to could tell if a woman was married or single by which side she placed her drop feathers or plume.

Nowadays, with the number of plumes and feathers women are now wearing it makes you wonder if these women are "run arounds?" *L j/k anywaaaaaaaaaays. Traditional placement of feathers has been compromised by modernization and trends in contemporary powwows.

How did or does your tribe wear their feathers to distinguish whether they're married or single?

**CandaePrincess** · 06-28-2004, 03:54 PM

Yeah for Poncas it denotes marriage I believe. When your single you wear it on your right and married you wear your plume on the left side.

Kaw women also use conchos on their shirts to denote their identity. Three conchos means single, two means married...and one concho means your're a grandmother.

**tradish_wiyan** · 06-28-2004, 07:26 PM

too many times, dancers try out the "latest" trend without thinking of the tribal traditions associated with the latest trend.

I see YOUNG girls wearing two feathers or two plumes, and I'm thinking....hmmm, they are too young to be married :Eyebrows

Okwataga · 06-29-2004, 05:57 PM

i think for us it was our hair not feathers

braided married not single cut short widowed

Blackbear · 06-29-2004, 10:03 PM

same here.. it was how our hair was worn.. but then women did'nt commonly wear feathers either... it was a choice thing to wear them or not.

06-28-2004, 03:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
WhoMe PauWau Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Land of 370 Broken Treaties Posts: 5,555	Married or single feathers tell the story. In a lot of tribes, it could be descerned whether a woman was single or married by how they wore their feathers. In many northern plains and plateau tribes, women with one feather sticking straight up in the center or on the side, considered herself single. A woman who wore two feathers considered herself married. In the south, you used to could tell if a woman was married or single by which side she placed her drop feathers or plume. Nowadays, with the number of plumes and feathers women are now wearing it makes you wonder if these women are "run arounds?" *L j/k anywaaaaaaaaaays. Traditional placement of feathers has been compromised by modernization and trends in contemporary powwows. How did or does your tribe wear their feathers to distinguish whether they're married or single? __________________ "Today, recognizing and respecting the origins of powwow aids in our Cultural Survival. If enough people break the rules because they are not satisfied...."We will have no culture." WhoMe

06-28-2004, 03:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
CandaePrincess Go Tera Go!!!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: where it's at Posts: 9,241	Yeah for Poncas it denotes marriage I believe. When your single you wear it on your right and married you wear your plume on the left side. Kaw women also use conchos on their shirts to denote their identity. Three conchos means single, two means married...and one concho means your're a grandmother. __________________ Mussy by birth.....Native by the Grace of God.......

06-28-2004, 07:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
tradish_wiyan plains n8tv Join Date: May 2003 Location: northern plains Posts: 1,093	too many times, dancers try out the "latest" trend without thinking of the tribal traditions associated with the latest trend. I see YOUNG girls wearing two feathers or two plumes, and I'm thinking....hmmm, they are too young to be married :Eyebrows __________________ yeah, yeah, yeah... ...never underestimate the power of stupid people in groups... If quizzes are "quizical"...What are tests?

06-29-2004, 05:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Okwataga Senior Dancer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: cherokee Posts: 952	i think for us it was our hair not feathers braided married not single cut short widowed __________________ In life there are few things that are certain... me being sarcastic is one of them

06-29-2004, 10:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
Blackbear Space Cowboy Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Alaska Posts: 9,618	same here.. it was how our hair was worn.. but then women did'nt commonly wear feathers either... it was a choice thing to wear them or not. __________________ Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

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