THESE WERE NOT A COMMON PART OF DRESS OWNED OR WORN BY ALL TRIBE MEMBERS. THEY SHOWED WEALTH AND POSITION OF PEOPLE IN THE TRIBE AND WERE EARNED BY THOSE WHO EXCELLED. TRIBAL LIFE DID NOT REWARD THOSE WHO DID NOT DO ANYTHING GOOD FOR THE TRIBE AND THE MORE VALUABLE YOU WERE TO THE TRIBE THE MORE HONOR AND RESPECT YOU RECEIVED. ALONG WITH THAT POSITION CAME THE WEALTH IN THE FORM OF THINGS LIKE THESE BREASTPLATES.
TODAY THEY ARE WORN BY THOSE ABLE TO AFFORD THEM TO POWWOWS AND CEREMONIES. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF ASKING AN OSSAGE AT A CEREMONIE IF THE COSTUMES BEING WORN WERE THE ORIGINAL OSAGE TRADITIONAL DRESS OR IF SOME THINGS HAD BEEN INCORPORATED FROM OTHER TRIBES. I WAS TOLD IN NO UNCERTIAN TERMS THAT THESE WERE NOT COSTUMES BUT THE UNIFORMS OF THE WARRIORS OF THE TRIBE AND I COULD CALL THEM REGALIA BUT NOT COSTUMES. END OF DISCUSSION AND I STILL HAD MY HAIR
I STILL WONDER IF THE REGALIA HAS STAYED TRUE TO THE TRIBES ORIGINAL FORMS OR IF IT HAS BEEN CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. AT THE POWOWS WHERE FANCY DANCE REGALIA ARE USED. OFTEN THE DANCER WITH THE COOLEST COSTUME HAS THE EDGE. SO I CAN SEE THAT AS A POSSIBLE INFLUENCE TO ADD SOMETHING IMPRESSIVE FROM ANOTHER TRIBE TO YOUR REGALIA. ANOTHER POSSIBLE INFLUENCE WERE THE EARLY WILD WEST SHOWS UNDOUBTABLE BUFFALOW BILL ADDED THINGS TO TRADITIONAL COSTUMES TO MAKE THEM LOOK MORE SAVAGE OR IMPRESSIVE FOR THE SHOW. MANY PICTURES AND POSTERS FROM THESE SHOWS SHAPED THE IMAGE OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES AND HAD NO MORE ACCURACY IN THEIR PORTRAYEL THAN HOLLYWOOD DID. HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF THIS SORT OF BREASTPLATE BEING WORN.
1 TWO PICTURES ARE SOUIX TRIBE
2. PICTURE PONCA CHIEF
3. COMANCHIE WARRIOR
4. SEVERAL SOUIX WARRIORS TAKEN IN 1880
5. UTE TRIBE TAKEN IN 1800S
6. DON'T KNOW THE TRIBE OR DATE TAKEN.