The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-03
sQUAWs' COSTLY ATTIRE.
Indian Women Who Wear Suit:
Worth Thousand Dollars.

Indian women VINO w ear SultS
Worth Thousand Dollars.
It has just cropped out in social circles
that the Oklahoma Indian women are
among the most eXtravagant dressers in
America. This fact is worth presenting
to those who look to Paris for their fash
ions. There may come time when Paris
looks to Oklahoma if things go on in
this way. 1t is fact, very narrowly
known, that many women of the Kiowa,
Comanche, Arapahoe and Ponca tribes
have dresses costing from $3.50 to $l5OJ
apiece They are not made in what we
should call the latest styles; the decora-
tons are what count.
The squaws' money is nearly all spent
in purchasing costly ornaments for their
clothing. These ornaments are in the
shape of jewelry and precious stones,
elk teeth and pearls. 1t is nothing out
of the common to see an Indian girl walk
ing around over her reservation with $500
worth of elk teeth tied to her dress in
decorative style. Again, a tWo-karat
diamond is no curiosity to these dusky
bellies. Most of the dresses are made
from soft buckskin, lined with silk or
satin. Red satin is a great favorite for
dress lining and shirt waists among the
Indian women. Yellow silk is another
of their favorites. but violet was the pre-
Vailing color this year. Next year the
Indian woman who leads the fashion will
decree a new and flashy color to be the
up-to-date thing, and. of course, all of
the women will follow her.
Society as we name it is thing un-
known among the reservation Indian
women, but they have a certain envy of
social standing just the same. When they
come to the small towns ON trading days
there may be assembled several hundred
of the women from various parts of the
country, and they gather in the agency
and talk over events among themselves,
gossip upon the scandals and rail against
the whites for hours at time.
1t is during this function that they
may be seen in their best dress, and each
one tries to Guido her neighbor in orna-
ments. The more elk teeth one has on
her dress the more popular she is at
these weekly meetings at the agency
buildings They examine each others
dresses carefully and freely express to
the wearer opinions upon the quality and
cost. If the dress meets with the disaS-
prevail of one, she has no hesitancy about
saying so to the owner of such dress,
who retorts as she sees fit Sometimes
open quarrels ensue at these sessions
because some woman has been too bold
in her criticism. Before they go home
they take vote on the dresses, and the
owner of the best is crowned leader of
fashion for the next week, and all must
refrain from criticising her dress. Dur
ing the ensuing week there is a great
race to outshine her garments, and this
is generally accomplished, no matter
how hard she may have str1ven to hold
her place in the lead The squaws do not
have to work as hard as is generally
supposed They do little outside their
houses, as the Indians who have an in
come from the United States do not
farm. All of the money due the women
is paid direct to them, and they spend it
to please their own tastes, which means
for dress.
The SWEETEST gowns are made from
tanned buffalo hides, which at this time
are very scarce. The leather is soft and
durable. It is made up into a. comfort
ably fitting skirt and loose waist. All
dresses are cut in about the same style.
They cost very little until the decora-
lions are added. This is where the ex-
travagance begins. Not less than a.
hundred elk teeth adorn the bosom of a
dress and sometimes 200 are used They
can be sold at from S. to $40 apiece. Then
row Of gold braid must go around the
bottom of the skirt, and string Of
pearl beads should adorn every belt
With addition of elk teeth, pearls and
oyster shells the dress soon becomes
very valuable.
AS the Comanches and their neigh
bors, the Kiowas, were great hunters
they have the most elk teeth and buffalo
hides; hence in Indian circles the women
of these two tribes are supposed to be
the best dressed. Not until last Easter
did the squaws introduce the wearing
of hats, but they spent money freely for
headpieces when they once sbegan. They
all had their hats trimmed with red
roses and violets. Some of the hats were
as large as a bushel basket.
The fashions they follow are very
amusing to the white people, but with
them it is serious business, and the
women are as much interested in their
shopping as white woman would be at
The counter Of one of the largest mil
lnery houses In New York.
Civilization is steadily growing with
these people, and the ways Of the whites