Apsáalooke (Crow) Girl’s Dress

Little girl's dress knitted with navy-blue wool, embellished with tusk shells, silk ribbons, sequins and bells. Children's clothing was very similar to adults' clothing, except for the size. These types of cloth dresses embellished with tusk shells are characteristic of the Early Reservation Period (1870-1920) and were inspired by traditional leather dresses. They could be found in many cultures across the plains. The tusk shells were common trade goods that were brought to the plains from the Pacific coast. They were attached to dresses and other garments and were also worn as necklaces and earrings. This dress shows how Native Americans used a mix of traditional materials, such as shells, in their clothing, as well as manufactured materials that they acquired from Euro-American merchants, such as cloth, silk ribbons, and metal bells. The start of the Early Reservation Period saw a flourishing of the arts among the cultures living in the plains, for some authors motivated by the greater free time available to women, the main producers of clothing and crafts, by leaving nomadic life. For others, it was more important that these objects became a mode of showing resistance against the profound changes imposed on them by the governments of the United States and Canada, and as a means of reaffirming their cultural identity.