Shawl
date: label: Accession Date
content: 17 Feb 2017
label: Collection Date
content: 24 May 2008
name: label: Collector
content: Dr. Candace S. Greene
label: Collector
content: Dr. Michael Jordan
label: Donor Name
content: National Museum of Natural History
notes: label: Notes
content: This shawl was collected at the 2008 Southwest Vietnam Era Veterans organization's dance held on Memorial Day weekend at the headquarters of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, north of Anadarko, Oklahoma. It was worn there by Veronica Sadongei, one of three young women serving as the organization's princesses. The princesses are charged with representing the organization on the powwow circuit and promoting its annual dance. Each princess wears a banner emblazoned with her name and title, as well as the name of the organization. They promote the SVEV by attending dances sponsored by other organizations throughout Oklahoma. It is typical for princesses to be recognized by emcees when the participants process into the arena during the grand entry. In addition, emcees sometimes invite the princesses in attendance to introduce themselves to the audience and make brief remarks. The SVEV is somewhat unique in having three princesses. They recognize a princess, a junior princess, and a junior miss princess. Candidates for each position compete with one another by raising funds for the organization. The candidate who raises the most money for the organization is awarded the position. Thus, the decision to recognize three princesses may be an economic one, as it produces additional revenue streams. Veronica Sadongei had been selected to serve a two year term as the junior princess at the organization's 2006 dance. To mark the end of her reign, her family held a giveaway ceremony at the 2008 dance. As her final act prior to relinquishing her title, Veronica danced around the arena. At her family's request, she danced once circuit around the arena by herself wearing this shawl. As she danced, female relatives entered the arena and placed shawls on the ground in front of her. Veronica danced over these shawls and then they were immediately retrieved by her relatives. These shawls were later redistributed during the family's giveaway honoring Veronica. During her second circuit around the arena, family, friends, and the general public were invited to honor her by dancing with her. One of the arena directors for the dance, Gary Nimsey danced beside Veronica, holding his baseball cap upside down. Individuals entered the arena and placed money in his hat before falling in line behind Veronica and her family. These monetary gifts, typically one dollar bills, serve as an expression of respect for the individual being recognized. During their giveaway, Veronica's family presented the shawl to the group of singers seated at the drum. It is common for the “drum” to be given a shawl or blanket. The article is then auctioned off and the proceeds divided amongst the singers. That is precisely what occurred with this shawl. Cletus Gayton walked around the arbor surrounding the arena seeking bids on the shawl. Michael Jordan (collecting for the museum) eventually purchased the shawl for $100. There were fifty one dollar bills attached to the shawl with safety-pins and Cletus expected him to remove them and to help pay for the shawl, but they were retained intact. Families holding giveaways sometimes present the singers with cash. It is fairly common for the emcee or the family's spokesperson to conclude the giveaway by announcing that “the family has some money for the drum.” Presenting the singers with a shawl or blanket that can be quickly converted into cash, as in the case above, is another alternative. Description: The shawl is made of hot pink cloth and is fringed with matching color chainette fringe. An approximately 6” wide strip of ribbonwork has been sewn across the bottom of the shawl. The decorative strip consists of a turquoise background with a geometric design in bilateral symmetry executed in alternating colors of a shiny maroon fabric. The maroon overlay does not appear to have been sewn down and was likely mounted using heat bond or a similar adhesive. However the turquoise strip was sewn down when it was mounted to the shawl. Fifty one dollar bills are attached to the shawl with safety-pins in three rows. The top two rows contain seventeen bills each and the bottom row contains sixteen.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 15 Sep 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Anadarko (near), Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Kiowa
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 2076808
label: USNM Number
content: E434673-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Dance Garment
physicalDescription: label: Length
content: 160 cm
label: Width
content: 156 cm