Clothing for the Native Americans was an important factor for their everyday life, and was a direct result of there hunting lifestyle. The Sioux people wore clothes mostly made from deer, buffalo, and elk. They used the animal’s skin, fur and hide to make shirts, moccasins, leggings, dresses, jackets, and vests. Most of the shirts and dresses would have beautiful beaded artwork on them with many hanging beads at the ends of each. In hot weather, the men of each tribe would wear breech coats, and in the winter, they would wear deerskin shirts, warm moccasins, and thick leggings. The women would wear colorful dresses with detailed beaded artwork. They would also have porcupine quills, feathers, and elk teeth hanging from strands on their dresses and shirts. The children of the tribes usually wore the same types of clothing as their parents, but in the warm weather, some of the children wouldn’t wear anything. The Sioux tribes would use almost every part of each animal that they would hunt because they didn’t like to waste. By using the animal, the Sioux were able to make wonderful clothing that would last for many years.
By: Sarah Broos
