Re: Native Reenactors-Women

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Comments:
: Mary S.
: I have been doing some dancing the past year or so and your description is exactly the one I was given by my Navajo family. Dance regalia is a bit different, a bit more ornate, but hair, gaze, footing, steps are the same. Navajo tend to wear their tiered skirts a bit longer than just below the knee, but traditional blanket dresses are knee length to display the knee high wrap moccassins.

: Men's dress here in the Southwest is very different than that described above. Moccassins are knee high, with little decoration and sometime with the toe turned up (Apache) and worn rather than leggings. Loose sort of pantoloons and breach cloths are often worn together. Long sleeve overshirts are common. Hair is worn long and loose with a bandana.

: Ros


: : This is what they have to say about women Natives. These are their words and not mine, but this is the way it was.

: : Clabert
: : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: : Dear list,

: : So far, this thread has focused on male native reenactors, so now I would like 
: : to introduce female reenactors into the mix?  What (in terms of appearance, 
: : demeanor, behavior) marks a top-notch female reenactor?  Or the opposite?  I'll 
: : start off with a few points, though only a few.

: : As for male reenactors, appropriate hair is a major distinguishing feature (says 
: : she of the currently blonde hair).  Sure, it's possible to cover up a 
: : contemporary hairstyle, but somehow, straight dark brown, black, grey or greying 
: : hair, properly worn (which in the east generally means bound or wrapped), makes 
: : a powerful impression.  Loose, hanging hair, however romantic it may look, seems 
: : to shout out "Farb!"

: : Wrap skirts/petticoats/whatever which are worn at a appropriate length: most of 
: : the available documentation indicates knee-length or just below.  I've seen 
: : women in lower-calf or even upper-ankle wrap skirts, and I'm puzzled as to how 
: : they've arrived at this length, unless we're interpreting the same sources very 
: : differently.

: : Walking/standing: the few accounts I've seen describe native women taking 
: : small steps and at least in public, keeping their gaze down.  And walking 
: : pigeon-toed.  Also tough for someone, like myself, who habitually walks rapidly, 
: : takes long strides, and stares people down :-), though the pigeon-toed gait 
: : comes naturally.  I'm been working on this for a while, though not maintaining 
: : it as consistently as I'd like; always pleased when someone notices, and oddly, 
: : it's mainly been my "English" (and some "French") pals who have noticed.

: : Curious to hear what others think, and can add, or modify,

: : Mary S.  


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