Official Women’s Dress of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

The Tear Dress is often referred to as being the style of dress that was worn on the Trail of Tears. It is said that as the women were taken to Indian Territory that after their arrival they were given cotton fabric but were not given scissors. So the material had to be torn by hand to make the dresses. I have also heard the story as to how the dresses were patterned after the prairie girls but that the Cherokee girls put patch work diamonds on the shoulders and around the bottom of the dress so the men could tell them a part from the white girls at a far glance into the fields.

As shocking as it may seem, these stories are only a “myth”. I was totally shocked and in disbelief when a few weeks ago as I was surfing the net and decided to see what was new on the Official Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma web site. To my amazement under the tidbit section they reported that the Cherokee Tear Dress was designed in 1975. 1975!! Why that’s only about 25 years old! So I quickly called the tribal office after being directed to the right people I was told by a young man there, that yes this is about right, that the dress is very new! The dress was made the official tribal dress by proclamation by the National Council around 1975. So this really got my attention and I found myself doing some research. I read everything I could find on this dress, and let me tell you there was not much to be found! The culture Center at the Cherokee Nation tells us that the dress is believed to be the style of dress from the Trail of Tears era and that the style of dress worn today was patterned after an actual dress stored for many years in a trunk, and believed to be from the Trail of Tears era.

They go on to say that the dresses are styled from calico print material, with an applique pattern of diamonds on the yoke and around the skirt, just above the flounce with 3/4 length sleeves.

After checking further I found out that the original Cherokee Tear Dress actually came about after the embarrassment of a young Cherokee woman, by the name of Virginia Stroud, who had been chosen as “Miss Indian American.” After winning this honor she was crowned wearing a Kiowa buckskin dress she had borrowed from a college friend. A group of Cherokee ladies was embarrassed that unlike other tribes, the Cherokee did not have a traditional dress. They felt it was unacceptable for a Cherokee woman who was representing the Cherokee people in public events to be dressed as a Kiowa. So they took the problem to the Cherokee Chief of that time, which was W.W. Keeler. They quickly decided to design a dress that would be historically correct, but unlike any other tribe, not wanting it to look like a plains dress.

They all started searching for the right dress design that would be uniquely Cherokee and be acceptable to the Chief. After much research and finding nothing one of the ladies, Marie Waddle, had remembered seeing a dress in her grandmothers old trunk. After much discussion among the ladies and Chief, they thought yes this would work, so they took this dress and redesigned it somewhat and came up with the official Cherokee Tear dress. This dress would serve them well for the Miss Indian America to wear as a representative of the Cherokee people and also giving the Tribe a dress to call their own.

After much consideration, it was decided that they needed to complete the outfit so the women made two calf-length white turkey feather capes, while Cherokee artist, Willard Stone designed and made a crown of copper to represent the style and material of the ancient Cherokee and to signify the women’s importance in nurturing and teaching the next generation.

Over the next ten years, each Miss Cherokee were required to wear the official copy of both the feather cape and crown in all public events for their reigning year. Eventually the feathered cape was retired to the Cherokee National Museum. The shape and style in the first cooper crown has since been copied and interpreted by many other Indian tribal groups for their Indian Princesses. These can be seen at many pow-wows today.

As stated by Wendell, “The worst Tear Dresses are those that people try to make from that wicked historical reproduction pattern company that seems to be available at every pow-wow I have ever attended. Tandy Leather Company also carried the same line. I have some choice but not printable thoughts about their other garment patterns too. Especially the men’s Indian and Frontier garb. They should be sued for defective product liability and I would love to see the Cherokee Nation get damages for their fraudulent misrepresentation of the term “Cherokee Tear Dress.” By no stretch of the imagination could a person make a tear dress from the pattern or the instructions. Sadly, I have had to express wonder at some strange fitting garments that were proudly worn by some uninformed, but ethnically prideful Cherokee descendants who trotted them selves down to the Cherokee Nation Holiday from Kansas City or Des Moines. In not a few cases, it was maddening to find out that they paid fairly large sums to their local professional dressmakers to stitch their dresses up because they simply didn’t understand the instructions after they had bought the fabric and the pattern.

Sorry Souls that they are, I have no heart to point out the inaccuracies of the miss guided intentions to appear historically authentic. My heart goes to the local Cherokees who produce beautifully made tear dresses and willing to make them for far less than the labor and attention the detail deserve.”

http://www.yvwiiusdinvnohii.net/Cherokee/WendellCochran/WCochran/TearDress-Eyewitness.htm

Thank you Mr. Cochran, I couldn’t have said it better!

Mr. Wendell Cochran is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Okalahoma. In 1989, the Tribe and the Cherokee National Historical Society awarded Mr. Cochran the title of Master Craftsman and National Living Treasurer in the Area of Traditional Cherokee Clothing.

by: Pitter

Information gathered from:

Lisa La Rogh, Cherokee Nation Okalahoma

Myrtle Driver, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina

Wendell Cochran, Tahlequah OK

Houston Museum

A Victorian Elegance

In the Middle Ages, Lavender was considered an herb of Love, both as an aphrodisiac and for chastity. During World War11 Lavender was used as powerful antiseptic when commercial sterilizers were in short supply.

Herbalist recommend using a tea of the flower or flowering stem as a mild sedative to treat nervous headaches, nausea and insomnia. (In most cases its better to make an herbal tea by letting the herb steep in hot water, rather than boiling it.) Externally Lavender makes an excellent wash for treating acne.

Oil of Lavender, obtained by steam distillation has been used traditionally by herbalist to suppress and kill the bacterium that causes diphtheria and typhoid. Lavender oil is said to be one of the best remedies for eczema, psoriasis, burns, cuts and stings due to its strong anti-bacterial action. A few drops of the oil are said to be an effective insect repellent. By: Tracy Seabaugh

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