As Native people, we take pride in our hair.
It portrays our cultural identity, our values, and our beliefs. In the old days when most of our people wore their traditional hairstyles, there were amazing creations and enhancements. Some were for practicality, others were decorative and others were ceremonial. As I see pictures from long ago, I have to remember that our ancestors were using traditional products of the day and not today’s shampoos, conditioners, mousses, gels, hairsprays curling irons, straightening irons, and blow dryers.
What also amazes me is the volume and color of our ancestors’ hair even among the aged.
One lady of our Bitterroot Salish people believed that you should only wash your hair in a flowing stream (usually icy cold year-round) and never in a basin or tub and that would ensure long, thick, hair which hers most definitely was. And there are many historic photographs of middle-aged and older Native people who seem to have no gray hair, either!
I’ve come to the theory—and professional hairstylists might agree with me—that part of the reason our ancestors’ hair was so magnificent and stayed that way was that they DIDN’T wash, comb, and fuss with it every day.
In addition, the natural products they may have used such as greases and earth-based paints served to hydrate and nourish it. Keeping the hair braided and wrapped such as with animal furs, strips of cloth, or ribbon further protected the hair from dirt and damage.
I was watching an infomercial for the product Wen. It’s a pretty simple pitch: Don’t use shampoo on your hair because it will dry it and that leads to dullness and breakage. By the way, hair that keeps breaking at the root will weaken the follicle until—here it comes—the hair that is produced has no pigment, and in other words, is white or gray.
Over the years I’ve been in awe of how powwow dancers can produce perfect hairstyles that can last through sun, wind, rain, and of course, dancing. It helps that most Native people, especially powwow dancers, have abundant hair.
But it takes much skill and practice to correctly fashion it whether for males or females. Look around the next powwow and you’ll see dozens of hands deftly braiding. Some people can do their own, like my daughter, who has enough hair for three people I swear. And some have to rely on others to get the smooth, tight, stay-together look that is the crowning glory of the perfect regalia.
Beginning in the 1980s, French braids emerged as a trend for female dancers and I wore them because I had a short, layered haircut. Today we are seeing a return to the more traditional styles and more women and men are growing their hair long and keeping it that way.
Whatever style you’re using for powwow dancing, it probably requires hair products of some kind.
Native American Hair Care
Here are recommendations from several people.
- O.B., a 40-something woman with long, thin hair swears by Vaseline. Not one hair gets out of place when you use that, trust me. It’s also good for boys because they usually don’t like girlie products like gel or hairspray.
- N.K., a 30-something woman with medium-length, layered hair uses Aussie Instant Freeze hairspray. She claims this will stand up even to the wind in Browning, MT.
- R.F., a 25-year-old man, uses Garnier putty to tame his waist-length, thick hair that is usually in two braids.
- F.P., a 33-year-old woman with thick, fine hair uses Suave and White Rain hairspray.
- P.P., a 63-year-old man uses “hair glue”. Don’t ask me where you buy that!
- C.A., a 25-year-old woman with very thick hair uses Herbal Essence spray gel.
- M.A., a 28-year-old woman with very thick hair uses Herbal Essence Touchably Smooth Anti-Friz Crème and Herbal Essence Max Hold hairspray. This is preceded by blow-drying with a Revlon ionic dryer and a Ginalli tourmaline ceramic straightener which, she says, “makes my hair awesome”.
- My personal favorites for my long, dry hair are Got2b defiant pommade and V05.
Now go practice braiding!
Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by Paul G
Lori
says:Thank you for this article. The hair of my four year old boy twins is long and beautiful, and I am looking for ways to keep it as such. They do have indigenous ancestry (probably Taino of Puerto Rico), and I often show them photos and videos of Native men with long hair because I’d like for them to be proud of their hair.
Fatima
says:Can you please provide this picture at full pixel? I would like to make a t-shirt for my son with this photo on it and saying something about Native men and long hair. It would help educate and make it known that we wear long hair to others. It would be appreciated!
Paul G
says:You would need to talk to the photographer before using it that way.
Ruth Swaney
says:Hello,
This photo is my Facebook friend’s, Levi Blackwolf. You need his permission to use the photo. I’m glad you liked the photo! Search for Levi Blackwolf on Facebook and you will find him.
Carlos Escalante
says:I am a native Pipil & Lenca from Central America. Our tribes do not accustom to grow our hair. But in solidarity and mourning of our ancestors that fought the mass genocide so we could be here today, I grow my hair for ALL tribes. I make a semi creamy mixture of Shea butter and castor oil or Argan oil. I apply the Mix when my hair is still damp. I have dandruff during cold weather for some reason and applying the castor oil directly to scalp via dropper does the trick.
I am a heavy sweater so I tend to wash my hair everyday and using this mixture has kept my hair healthy. As if I don’t wash it everyday.
Standing Flower
says:I stumbled across this site because I am searching for Indigenous hair products for thick curly medium length hair tips.
Sunbun
says:After study a couple of of the blog posts on your website now, and I actually like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will probably be checking back soon. Pls try my website as nicely and let me know what you think.
Julie
says:I am 56 and just finding out that I am part Native American. I so appreciate this article and this is the first time I have been on this website. my hair has always been long and at times in my life cut it short, regrettably, but now have been letting it grow long again….
Nykerha
says:I’m 13 and have really wavy and curly hair, I’m half black and half Native American I’ve been putting vitamin e oil and Vaseline in ,your hair and it keeps my hair soft and shiny
Ruth Amelung
says:Hi everyone! Do you use Echinacea at all as a natural remedy for stronger hair? Does it work? Keen for any tips!
Thanks!
Marnie Johnson
says:This article was very informative & the suggestions on healthy haircare were helpful as well!
shannan Ohtsuka
says:Help! Tonight my 5 year old boy cut his beautiful long hair in the bathroom. I didn’t have his hair braided, it was right at bedtime. He went potty, for a little too long and I checked and he cut his bangs above his eye brows. Now what? His hair is to the middl to lower back. He knows the importance of long hair. Now do I braid it or cut the rest? I have to admit, I was and still am a bit upset. He had to dig for those scissors. They were not at child level or in site. He was tired of his hair coming down in his face sometimes. He still wants long hair…So partial mowhalk??? ha!
Nerissa
says:LOLZ…best thing I Use and my Indian Ancestors TAINO, AMAZON and Chippawa Ojibway have used for ages is “Coconut Oil” home made is best! Smells great! Better than OJON too. Happy Hair day!
Lisa
says:Does anyone have advice about hair breakage? I am 22 years old Native/Mixed, and I have noticed that the edges of my hair in the front seem to have breakage. I remember when I was 18, for example, I had more hair in this area, whereas now, it looks more sparse. It is really embarrassing and makes it difficult to do different hairstyles that I like to do because I try to cover up the sparse/empty spaces in the front and the sides of my hair near the front. I usually wash my hair 1x a week because I also have a bad problem with dandruff, but I am thinking that maybe that is too often. I also like to put my hair in twists to do styles and as a protective style, but I did not think that I was pulling my hair too much. Now I think that perhaps I have been doing too much with my hair. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Naawe Giizhig Kwe
says:I am 53 and started having white hair (which runs in my family) in my 30s. I have stopped colouring it because I had to do so 2xs a month to maintain, and hated all the chemicals on my head. Now it is coming in snow white and I am braiding it. Both my daughter and I have a real dried, tangled patch at the back, top of the head. The rest of my hair I can ccomb thru no problem but no matter what I try this part of my hair is shorter and hard to comb. Does anyone have any remedies for this? Miigwetch, all my relations!
riverbear
says:I entered a question about a rinse that I got at pow wow from a woman from the Southwest. After washing your hair you rinsed it with a tea and left it in. After it dried you merely brushed out the remaining twigs and leaves. It made a big difference in the condition of my hair, made it shiny and healthy and a pride to wear it. My hair is very long and getting thin from my age. I was told that the people in the Southwest use this frequently. I can not remember the name of the herb or mixture, nor have I ever had a chance to see this nice woman again. I know the Apache used a tea rinse on their hair as they treasured their shiny hair. I am sorry that I did not get back to the brother that answered my question with another question about the look of the ingredients. Life gets hectic. The answer to this question is – it appeared as a sage or something similar, course, had small twigs, did not smell like sage or anything like that. No sweetgrass either, but it did have a nice earthy smell. Like I said and was instructed you left it in and did not rinse it out then combed out the dried herb. Sure miss it. Any help? Still looking.
D.F.B.
says:Sounds a lot like Henna, or something similar to it. I have used henna on my hair and it thickens and conditions and it smells VERY earthy.
Darlene Burton
says:But Henna isn’t a Southwest NA thing.
Alicia
says:Pure organic Coconut oil to condition your scalp and hair after washing. I wash mine every 10 days. My hair s to my waist. I am 35 half Choctaw/ Cherokee and German.
Darlene Burton
says:Wouldn’t the oil (unrinsed out) leave the hair oily??
Sue
says:I’m 70 years young,my hair is at butt not thick but not thin eairther,my hair seems to have stop growing wihitch makes me sad. I do have to use a conditioner. As I read it seems a lot of people use coconut oil now my question is do you use it as a conditioner or just for braiding? My hair is always in a braid except when I wash my beautiful hair wihitch is once or maybe every two weeks.
doozer
says:there are a lot of ways to do it, none are really wrong.
I like to put in warm oil (i use a little pot for melting chocolates, but warm water or a sec in the microwave also work)
I comb it it in, let it sit (get kinda goopy ’cause i use more than i prolly should)
then go over it with a hair drier, then let it cool off again.
I then rinse it with cold water and apple cider vinegar
i have long/thick hair that people always comment on.
Andrew Tillotson
says:Thank you.
Dori
says:I use Tail and Mane shampoo and conditioner for my hair, it helps my hair to get thick and grow long but does nothing for the split ends.
I have VERY natural curly hair that is dry at the ends, what can I use to help with the split ends I can’t use oils and I’m allergic to them (I break out with a bad rash).
I love long hair always had, but it does grow slowly do to my heart meds that I have to take to stay alive.
I’m not really Native American probable less than an 1/8 my seventh Great-Grandmother was an Osage Princess so what I am told.
I do wash my hair at least twice a week to help with the frizz (which I HATE do to my curly hair).
lynn
says:Dori,
We don’t have princesses in our history. Native people didn’t run a monarchy. But if your connected or feel connected to your heritage, pursue it.
Rebecca
says:Dori,
Some tribes do, so… Not every opinion is “bible.” We do have a hierarchy among the Warm Springs people, though like many tribes, we were matrilineal (women-heritage/clan based). I wash my very long, very THICK, slightly curly hair about once per week to battle frizz. Luckily, in Oregon, we don’t battle the humidity like many places in the U.S., but head-sweat cannot be denied. I do actually use a shampoo, but make sure it is sulfur-free, so it is non-drying. And find a good conditioner that doesn’t weigh your hair down, as well. I condition separately, in the tub, just due to the weight of my hair with the amount I have to use. I pin it up and leave it on for at least 20 minutes, then rinse really well. Towel/air dry only. No hair dryers or flat irons EVER. They only make it worse in the end.
Skye
says:I use coconut oil on my hair. My hair was black but it is now a silver/black and I am pushing 60. It’s very long but due to medical problems, I can’t braid it myself. The man on the left, Levi (?) his hair is beautiful. I am part Blackfoot and the interesting part is the side of my family that silvered early is the Blackfoot side.
Julee
says:Vo5 is very damaging to hair. That might be why your hair is dry. When I was in cosmetology school, one of our teachers actually did a perm with Vo5. Try coconut oil once a week to add more moisture. I put it in my hair, wrap it in a towel and sleep that way. Then wash it in the morning.
Jacquie Svensson
says:Tea tree oil helps itchy scalp, as does rosemary. I use a mix of rosemary, cedarwood oil, sage, and thyme for my hair. Makes a huge difference. Surgery 2 yrs ago caused massive hair loss and I am starting to see improvement at last.
shelly Willis
says:Just wondering if anyone had any advice that you have used and know it works regarding dandruff and itchy scalp???
Jackie Wambolt
says:fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. The lemon cleans, and helps to dissolve the dry skin and the olive oil keeps your scalp from drying out. Mix the two and rub it into your scalp and let it sit for at least 20 minutes then rinse out, use a small amount of shampoo to remove excess oil. I’d recommend playing around with the miztures. Some require more or less oil.
Daniel Hamm
says:I’m just your average American mutt mix of German, Irish, Blackfoot, and Cherokee. The Natives in my family were all deceased before I was born ending with my great-grandmother, a shaman. I want to learn more about my Native heritage but the rest of my family oppose the Native side of the family. This gave me a lot of ideas to try cause I’ve tried everything I could find on the market for my hair and it remains the same, oily and broken. If anyone has any other ideas or help connecting back to my roots I’d appreciate it. I’m 29 and already going grey and white.
Willard Latimer
says:I have enjoyed your site after reading it for the first time;’but not the last time’. When I was in my thirty and forty my braids were like the brothers and sister that are pictured in this article. I did not wash my hair, for once a years. I would wrap my braid in stripes of soft cotton and at bed time wrap my head in an turban to keep every hair smooth and clean. I learnt this from my grandmother; “Who was Choctaw from Lumpkin, Steward Co.,Georgia. Her mother lived there for 98 years. Grandmother taught me everything I needed to know in life. I’m a Button & beads work Artist. Learnt by my father. Thank you, just for listing, from one whom has lost all my people; “But they seam to be around me always. This is the first time I was able to write or speak concerning these family ties ! thank you again. My wife related to the Delaware tribes.
Wolflady Cruz
says:I too am 1/2 Puerto Rican and 1/2 Apache. I never use shampoo, nor conditioner in my hair. I use the rain water and just let it run thru my hair till water is clear. I use pure coconut oil and keep it in a braid, my hair is long middle of my butt, I am nearly 55 in a few months. Have cut it a few times,just a few inches.
Anna
says:Hi Wolflady. Please help me. How do you use the coconut oil on your hair? I only wash my hair with water (no shampoo), like you do. If I put oil on my hair it becomes too oily and water won’t help. Or does it? Please, please help.
Joyce Williams
says:This helped me a lot. Thank you. I am half Puerto Rican and Half Native. I’m trying so hard to get my hair to waist length and I always thought if i leave it out and wash it often it would get longer. But now i see that i should braid it more and not wash it too much.
riverbear
says:I once got a herbal hair rinse (tea like) from an Apache woman, after shampoo you rinsed with this tea, but the secret was leaving it in then after your hair dried you brushed out the remains of the tea, thickened my hair and made it glisten, i loved this rinse which grows in the southwest. the thing is I forgot what it’s name is and I want more. . Does anyone know this herb?
Best to you
River
Noel B
says:Was the tea rinse made of sweetgrass? What did it look like? What was the smell like?
Noel B
says:Was the tea rinse made of sweetgrass? What did it look like? What was the smell like?
native mom
says:Im a mom of a long hair family in a coastal community. i noticed that the wind is torture on the hair, hence people with braids have beautiful hair; also food and medications effect the hair, when i had surgery, the medication i was under took about 2 years for my hair to have a healthy feeling to it.love the article, anything that encourages our people to grow back their power.
Brenna
says:I use baking soda and apple cider vinegar for shampoo and conditioner. Oh so shiny hair (not greasy) that can go a few days in between the washings.
Brenna
says:I do not recommend baking soda for your hair ever. It can never be diluted enough for a proper Ph. I still love apple cider vinegar though. And my sister loves castor oil.
Megan Chandler
says:This is going to be helpful. My 4yr old Cherokee daughter has beautiful ringlet curls. Last only lasts about 5 mins. I’ll keep some of these trick in mind for braiding her thin curls.
Bibi
says:I have been using nothing but coconut oil in my hair for almost 4 years. My hair is naturally thin and with a Botticelli curl. I started growing it out when it was about shoulder length and now its halfway down my back. Along with a natural diet rich in protein, and washes once a month with just conditioner, the coconut oil has helped my hair grow, thicken and become strong and shiny with almost no split ends. I owe it all to a desire to reconnect with my native roots.
Amy
says:Hi Bibi, my name is Amy and I am only part native but want to care more for my hair. Do you just put the coconut oil in and leave it? I recently lost my mother and cut my hair that was halfway down my back and as time passes I want it to grow back thick and strong. Any other suggestions would be welcomed.
Sweetgrass women
says:I like this article. where I come from women don’t touch a man’s hair unless they are family. It’s told that if people who play with your hair, you’ll be bald. I’m still young yet, for when I play sports my mom braids my hair. To show the other team I take pride in being native american.
reality weaver
says:?.. I have dreads but it not working for my hair texture so I’m thinking about doing what you doing
Apache Warrior
says:I wonder how long it took them to grow there hair?
Leah
says:Sunflower oil is traditional for us in the northeast
SaloliAliskisku
says:Thank you Ruth
Great article
Lena
says:Please, are you able to tell me who is on this photo? There is a woman om fb that keep stealing photos of NDN youngsters, claiming them all to be pics of her own children. This one photo included.
Ruth Swaney
says:Hi Lena, the gentleman on the left is Levi Blackwolf, of Wolfn Photography. This picture was on Levi’s Facebook page and I know for certain it is him.
Mnikaluza.
says:My Grandmother told me in the old days they would boil colligen which was from animal ears, and nose and boil it down until it formed a gel . Then they cooled it down and put it in their hair before braiding and it kept it in place and kept the hair shining and strong. Thanks for the encouragement and reminder.
Martin High Wolf
says:I haven’t cut my hair not even to trim the ends in 13 years since I cut it all off when my dad died. I only wash it once every 7-10 days and then I wash it while it is still in double braids. I use Desert Essence Coconut Shampoo and condition with Aussie moist conditioner-revitalisant. I’m 56 and have no gray hair and no spit ends.
Running Doe
says:I am honored to read this wado for sharing, my hair is very long i can sit on it, i use shampoo, i get from the native book, and also, keep my hair in non ruber bands for they will break your hair off, use very mild stuff for my hair, i have mine in french braid alot, wado for sharing Running Doe, Cherokee
shelly
says:i enjoyed this article.. when i was younger my mom used to wash our hair in the rain water after the first rain… i never asked why but i think i will ……
Tara Martin (Akicita Win)
says:Wben I was little my grandma used to use chamomile in my hair. I only trim it now, and use coconut oil in it to smooth it. I was it with organic shampoo from Desert Essence Organics Italian grape and the matching conditioner.
jan charlo
says:Ruthie you rock..that is the second article i have read of yours in a week..you are a WRITER please keep it up// so nice to read well wriotten comments ot relevant topics..water rights and hair!!!
mdtulee
says:I enjoyed the article, BabyRuth. mdt.