In the minds of European people, the Indian costume is always associated with feathers - they are used to decorate the headband and weapons. It is worth remembering that different tribes of South and North America have their own traditions for the production and decoration of clothing, but in general, there are several main reasons why bird feathers are used by the Indians.
Decorative elements
Bird feathers were used exclusively to decorate garments, mainly by the Indians of the rainforest of South America. Many parrots with bright plumage live there. Therefore, colored feathers were sewn on clothes or loincloths, while some tribes could only use some shades depending on the patron animal of the clan. Also, feathers of parrots were used to create necklaces and bracelets, decorate hairstyles.
Since durable fabric and leather dyes were developed only in the last century, people who lived earlier, including Indians, had to use what nature gives to decorate their clothes.
Tribe sign
The feathers of different birds could serve as a kind of identification mark for the Indians. The presence of such a "badge" is especially important in hot climates, when excess clothes only cause inconvenience, and bright feathers of a certain color help to distinguish oneself from the enemy at a great distance. Therefore, the Indians of the southern hemisphere used them for their combat suits.
In North America, many tribes had their own totem animal, sometimes a bird, so it was believed that part of this creature protects a person if it is present in some kind of decoration.
Bird feathers were used in Indian ritual costumes. It was believed that they help to get closer to the gods, like birds closer to the sun.
Military glory
In the clothing of North American Indians, feathers were used as military regalia. Their color and location spoke of victories in battles, killed enemies. So, for example, a feather stuck into a hairdo horizontally, among the warlike Sioux, meant that a person did not retreat at the sight of an enemy, and a vertical one - that the enemy was killed with one blow.
There were also many rules for how to place feathers on clothing and hats. If the enemy's throat was cut, the sharp tip would be covered with red paint. This "military" chronicle is a bit like a kipa - a system for storing information using knots.
This use of feathers in an Indian costume is typical for the period of active development of the North American prairies by Europeans.
Tribe member status
In some tribes (both in South and North America), the presence of feathers on clothes, their number and location spoke of the status of an individual. So, after the initiation of boys into men or after the first hunt, they were allowed to decorate their clothes with embroidery, porcupine quills, shells or feathers.
Interestingly, noble women of the tribe were entrusted with making festive richly decorated robes. Shamans and leaders had the most beautiful and elegant clothes.
