Potawatomi Blouse
Peggy Kinder has given us permission to post a photograph of one of her blouses made in the traditional Potawatomi style. She wrote:
I take great pride in its
authenticity. A Prairie Band lady made my first one when I was a young
girl. My Dad then made a pattern from that blouse (the lady passed
away) without taking it apart. At a
pow wow in White Cloud, Kansas, an elderly Potawatomi man came up to
me and told me I was dressed like he remembered his Mamma used to
dress.
The two silver broaches on the front of the blouse hold it closed. Potawatomi used a lot of silver broaches on their clothing - of all sizes. I have smaller ones on the ruffle of the collar, too.
My necklaces are glass carnival beads and cobalt blue glass beads; they were my Grandmother's. Both type of beads were worn by Potawatomi women. They are considered antiques now, and really hard to find.
I handsewed the ribbon work down the front of my skirt and around the bottom. My Father made the pattern for me several years ago.
My Grandmother told me her Grandmother used to use the big collar for a hood when it was windy.
Susan and Eric Campbell took these photographs at the recent Powwow at Shawnee. Eric retouched the background so that you can focus on Peggy's outfit.
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