The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-08-20
FULL BL00DS Do
NOT LIKE SHORT
SKIRTS ON GIRLS
Grunts of Disapproval
Elected From the
Ponca Braves
WANT DRESSES LONG
Edict From Paris That Skirts
Must Be Long Please
the Bucks
CALICO FAvoRlTE CLOTH
Close Watch Kept on the Con-
duct Of Girls of Abor-
iginal Tribe
WANT DRESSES LONG
CALICO FAvORITE CLOTH

SPECIAL to The world
ToNCA CITY, Aug. 19.-Full APP
pr0yal of the latest styles in wom-
ems dresses. as announced from
Paris and that evidently are be-
coming quite the thing In
America, is given by the fullblocd
indian women of the |ponca tribe
particularly. although the fullblood
feminine of the various tribes in this
section OF Oklahoma unanimously
favor the long skirts even to the
extent that they touch the ground
all the way around and In some in
: tances are trailing. The younger
spmcn of the tribes, especially those
MO have been attending schools
away from their homes. are soon
found to adopt the short skirts OF
their white sisters. but this is with
fhe disapproval Of their mothers and
tribeswomen. The uniform, now
worn by Indian girls at Chilecco and
other Indian schools, has the short
skirt but the mothers urge a return
TO the trailing garment when the
girls return home.
'Pee-ash-er" Is what the Ponca
fullblood women say when their
opinion is asked regarding the shirt
skirts, so generally worn. While
UlklldliA EsiN tADlt kNlOn tuulu bN
interpreted literally to mean that the
garment is mo good" with even a
cast of suspicion on the wearer, yet
It has become TO mean just disap-
prevail and probably disgust to n GER
tain extent. IL Is difficult at times
10 distinguish even the moccasins or
other footwear that the women may
be wearing because of the unusually
long skirts that are their fashion.
They bring to memory the dust
collecting costumes that women
wore years ago..
There seems to be no particular
reason back OF the long skirt cos
tune OF the fullblood women. This
subject has been discussed with In
dian school authorities, missionaries
and eyen with some OF the Ponca
women, and the general opinion Ia
that the costume is purely a matter
Of custom and habit. When the early
missionaries labored among the
tribes and urged the adoption OF
dresses, similar TO those worn by the
white women. the long skirt was In
vogue and was adopted. No doubt in
those days the missionaries left an
impression or the minds of the In
dian women that there was some
thing immoral connected with a
short skirt, and the Indian women
still cling to that opinion. That wa.
during the period when the ballot
was for the men only.
Calico the Fayorite.
While OF course some OF the
dresses worn by the fullblood womer
OF the Oklahoma Indian tribes Il
made of other material, calico Il
the favorite and is worn on any anc
all occasions. And while brigh'
colors are favored as a rule by th'
Indians generally. the women'
skirts are n~cticeably of black or 9th
er dark material, perhaps containing
just a small figure Of some othe
color-but in almost every instance
the garment will be made OF calico
Calico was a cheaper material II
the days when the Indians depende,
almost entirely on getting their mer
ehan1ise from the traders. and tn
latter could give n whole lot more o
It In exchange for pelts and the 9th
er things that the Indians had I
trade. And the use of calico toda
Is no doubt a matter of habit o
custom, Just as is the long Skin
All the stores in the towns, wher
the Indians congreBate to trad
keep a good-sized stock OF Gallo
on hands always.
While the dress or the fullDIoo
woman may be of calico and sh
may wear moccasins OF her ow
handmade, yet the shawl she IN
variably wears will be OF the cosi
Hest. This is true among the Por
cas-, where the black beaded shaw
Is worn. and among other tribe
Where the brighter oolored an
Ceavier shawl or blanket Is use
No effort Is too great for an India
wonan II she may be able to poi
sess a shawl OF great value.
ne Ponca women wear h shaw
draped around their waists and
such a manner that II becomes rea
an overskirt. with the fringe ham
Ing near the bottom Of their ekirt
II Is POSSIBLE TO buy a shawl for
smaller figure, but those that Il
Fonca women wear as a rule co
all the way from sl25 TO 5000. TT
shaw,s are always OF attractive pa