Choctaw Nation
Cheif Gary Batton and Assitant Chief Jack Austin Jr.
Cheif Gary Batton and Assitant Chief Jack Austin Jr.
Traditional dress for Oklahoma Choctaw men and women is made from colorful cloth and is edged with fine ribbonwork. Before Europeans entered Choctaw Lands, Choctaw women made clothing using Tvlhko (buckskin) and Nan Tuma (cloth).
Historically, Choctaw men wore Yvnnvsh Hakshup (buffalo robes), Apokshiama (buckskin breechcloth), Iyubiha (buckskin leggings) and Tvlhko Shulush (buckskin pucker-toe moccasins).
Choctaw women wore Vlhkuna (a type of wrap skirt made of buckskin or fabric) and Tvlhko Shulush (buckskin pucker-toe moccasins with long uppers), but in colder months, the would wear a Yvnnvsh Hakshup, similar to men.
Modern Choctaw men wear a cotton shirt with a round neckline or an open collar with applique or ribbonwork. Bold colors and motifs with black pants and shoes are worn with the outfit. Men also wear a wide-brimmed black, felt hat with different (or no) hatbands.
Modern Choctaw women wear colorful cotton dresses, these dresses have a fitted waist with a long full skirt that is trimmed and has ruffles. An apron with contrasting colors to the dress is also worn. Choctaw women wear all kinds of accessories with their outfits.
Motifs are the designs that are used by the Choctaw Nation. The most common are as following:
Traditionally, the band of full diamonds pays homage and respect to nature. The pattern is derived from the skin of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Our Choctaw ancestors respected the rattlesnake because of its powerful venom and dominant place among other creatures.
The half-diamond design can also be associated with the diamondback rattlesnake, but it is more commonly connected to the hills and valleys of the Choctaw homelands. The bar running along the bottom is often said to represent a river or path. Half-diamonds can be seen as representing a journey, whether literal or the figurative journey of life’s highs and lows.
The pattern of “X” and “O” represent the game of stickball. The shapes relate to the Kapucha (sticks) and the Towa (ball). Together the symbols demonstrate the importance of game as part of the Choctaw cultural identity. The “X” shape represents the sticks crossed over one another in a gesture meaning “May our paths cross again.”