Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

114 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
FIGURE 12.—Buckskin jacket worn by Captain William Ludlow
on the Black Hills Expedition, 1874. Made by Arikara
Indians about 1872. Courtesy U.S. Military Academy Museum,
West Point.
wore a whitish gray hat with broad brim and
rather low crown, and a buckskin suit with a
fringed welt in the outer seams of the trousers
and arms of the blouse. The double-breasted
buckskin blouse featured military buttons, open
lapels, a turn-down collar, and fringe along the
bottom. His brothers, Tom and Boston, were
similarly dressed. Several of the remaining officers
wore buckskin blouses. Lt. James E. Porter's bullet-riddled
jacket was found in the abandoned
hostile village, and Captain Tom Custer's buckskin
jacket was recovered later, indicating that
they wore the coats into battle despite the summer
heat. The body of Lt. Donald Mcintosh was also
clad in buckskins (Parsons and DuMont,
1953:49-51; Hutchins, 1976:16).
It is unfortunate that no such detailed information
exists regarding the dress of the host of
other soldiers who served out West (Figure 12),
although the United States Military Academy
Museum has some remarkably fine buckskin outfits
that belonged to Army officers on frontier
duty, and old photographs bear out their popularity
as field dress. Assumedly, Custer's officers
were no more or less dashing and picturesque
than those in other regiments.
The final group brings us full circle. When this
project was undertaken, it seemed that the gar­
ments under consideration were probably made
by Indians for Whites. The literature indicated
that some of them were made by Whites for
Whites. It is now evident from photographs and
specimens that some Indians also wore these European
adaptations of native material as well.
Two notable examples are Curley, Custer's Crow
scout, and Red Cloud, the Oglala Sioux chief of
chiefs. Both were famous national figures. Both
played important roles in tribal and White cultures.
Perhaps in their minds it was desirable to
retain a certain "Indianness" in their attire to
satisfy White curiosity seekers and officials, as
well as conservative Indians. At the same time,
the elegance of decoration on their clothes may
have accurately reflected their enhanced social
status and wealth. It seems that Indians faithfully
copied European fashion, even when that fashion
was derived from their own dress (Figure 13).
The tradition of Indian-made clothing for
Whites continues. It is strongest in Canada, where
high-quality tailored jackets made by native
craftsmen in a variety of styles are available from
Pointe Bleue, Quebec, to Teslin Lake, British
Columbia. A few are made in the United States.
In 1969, the writer received a beautiful buckskin
jacket as a gift from an Oglala Sioux friend. The
Indian received in return a new Stetson cowboy
hat, so the traditional exchange of clothing is still
viable.
With regard to the ornamentation of the type
of buckskin garments under consideration, it is
worthwhile to note that typical Plains geometric
beadwork was observed on only two examples.
Decorations, if present, consisted of variations on
floral themes in beads or quills applied directly
to the leather with no other background. The
individual design elements were often somewhat
larger and naturally more colorful when done
with beads, with the beads usually being of very
fine size. Areas decorated generally include the
breast, back yoke, pocket flaps, and collar and
cuffs of coats. On trousers, the designs usually
appear in the front pocket area, down the leg
fronts, the cuffs, and the calf area of the back of
the leg.
A controversy exists as to whether this floral