The idea that natives surrounded themselves with embellishments of thier own design and of trade goods is very common. For some, it is a stumbling block as far as how colors, placement, and pattern converge to produce a tribally or regionally specific 'look'. If you brief yourself thoroughly you can use discretion and extract patterns or designs from pottery, basketry, pictographs and petroglyphs and apply them to other mediums. The trick to this is having viewed artifacts and considering the commonality, symbolism (often difficult, lean towards more broad descriptors in this regard), and time frame (i.e. did it show up after the Removal?, or has it appeared since precontact and had a continued presence to this day?)
My 'kit' (my clothing and everything else that accompanies me to an event) is often heavier than it needs to be. When peaking to the public or demonstrating native lifeways, this is a necessary evil. These events do tend to be more accessible though and make packing up easier. I note what I didn't use at an event when I get home (so I can leave it next time). this allows me to have a more accurate impression, and lets me pack/unpack things more quickly. Another extremely affective method for reduction is to attend period treks or tacticals. These events allow you to see how others have organized their affairs, and for you to feel why natives took so little with them on the trail. Heavy packs are no fun. ** See also: On Campaign**
Clothing I have effectively collected two outfits: one for hunting/war, and another for more formal occasions. At more stationary events (parks, etc.) both sets come with me. only my 'hunting' clothing comes to private tacticals, since this is a rougher outfit. Both sets are self-contained (leggins, mocs, and garters folded into the shirt) and bound by their own breechcloth tie. One set contains: Shirt There were basically four kinds of shirts being traded to natives in the southeast. One of the most common was a
BreechclothChecked shirt. Many trade lists in the south show these as being one of the most common. Because these shirts were commonly worn to the point they fell off of men's bodies, there is little evidence of what the pattern for the checks looked like. Since the shirts were the equivalent of a common man's work shirt, it is beneficial to look at check'd fabric coming from England. In historical texts, the end of sleeve has a "wristband" rather than a 'cuff'. The wristbands were narrow, often 1 Inch or less. Much of this check is a style called 'windowpane' meaning a mostly uncolored background with narrow colored gridwork giving it the appearance of a muntin (the glass retainers). These grids could be compound or simple. another source of check from the period are the shirts being issued to members of the British Army, which were a solid check gingham that we are familiar with today. It is my belief (and the belief of others) that the windowpane style was more common. The appropriate fabric may be found through many sutlers in the hobby.   'gingham' check cotton from Wal-mart; documentable, but not altogether common outside of militaria. at left, considered 'checked' in the 18th century Holland cloth was a coarse unbleached linen that was also exchanged. Linen's natural color is a light brown, but these could have been dyed any colour. Ruffled shirts were the same that gentlemen in London, Philadelphia, and Charles Town sporting. There were less of these compared to the first two types (which were to Europeans common work shirts) because of the added labor in construction and the finer grade of cloth. Use a 3-4.5 oz (handkerchief) linen.  Calico was one of the least common. Made of cotton, it could have been hand-stamped with patterns in India and either brought as a finished garment or by the yard. These shirts were more commonly seen on women than men, and it did not look like modern calico. Because of its seeds, cotton was an expensive textile, and linen was the most common fabric of the time. Most of the shirts being traded were made of linen, and so should yours. It is not a sin to have a cotton shirt (the checked one above was my first), but consider that having a linen one would show others how knowledgeable and dedicated you are to an accurate portrayal. Rule of thumb for length is chin to floor, and about 9" wide. Again, made from stroud cloth. Ribbons, trade silver brooches, and beadwork are appropriate.
By the time of the 7 Years War leggins made of deerskin had been mostly abandoned in favour of the stroud cloth available in trade. I own a pair of leather leggings to show the contrast pre- and post-contact, and because they wear harder than wool ones. In both cases, the leggins were fitted on the leg as tightly as possible while still being able to remove them. My leather pair deerskin, but cow hide, which some Cherokee received as pat of military payment during a campaign in PA will also work. Deer, especially brain-tanned, is more durable and will last you many years. Mine have been used for about three and one belt tie is just starting to wear out. The fringe on existing woodland leggings from the period is short, around 1/4". Leaving a flap like wool leggings is also an option. My other pair are made of blue wool and decorated with some ribbon. The stroud cloth was a cheap wool used to blot up excess dye and featured an undyed resist area near the edge. Many styles of stroud existed based on location and time. Check my links page for sources of correct stroud. Leggins were held up two ways. A strap stitched to the legging was tied onto the belt holding up the breechcloth. Decorated or plain knee garters were also worn. Garters ranged in complexity and manufacture. "Gartering" on trade lists was narrow (sub 1 inch) tape that would be appropriate when on campaign, given their cheap nature. Avoid the wider tapes sold by some vendors. A matchcoat at its simplest was a 2.5 - 3 'point' blanket, or a piece of wool fabric measuring around 5 square feet. This garment could have been embellished with wide silk ribbon (single-woven, measuring 1" or more based on museum samples), beads, lace, or other trade goods. You wouldn't take your Sunday suit out camping, and neither would they based on firsthand accounts.
Moccasin construction is often a tribally specific thing, but local groups shared basic design structure. Frequently, trails could (allegedly) be identified as Mohawk, Lenape, etc. due to the impression of the shoe. This is one poorly-preserved part of our history, but research has shown the 'pucker-toe' to be a design documentable to the southeast. Like leggings, these mocs should be made of deer skin. Again, I cheated and mine are cow hide. They will be replaced. One account tells us that they went barefoot (for local travel) as soon as it warmed up, but it is advisable that you make and carry at least two pairs to have the skill and because some sites require footwear. Timberlake also mentions cloth slippers, which are nice in cold or wet weather (if woolen).
Ornaments These include trade silver, beads, feathers, etc. Generally speaking, the 'ball and cone' earrings that were so common are a short and wide variation when compared to northern sites. Trade brooches were around 5/8", sometimes larger and very common. All trade silver was Sterling by royal law. 'German' (nickel) silver was not invented until the 19th century. Armbands were common as dirt and were constantly being chopped up for nose rings and other jewelry by natives.
Tools/ ArmsMany rings being traded to the Cherokee were 'paste' - a type of imitation diamond but reproductions are costly. Given the French influence at my nation's back door I have found the French trade rings that feature religious motifs an acceptable accoutrement. Feathers were common, both in a decorative and spiritual (if you want to view it this way, keep it to yourself) context. Raptor and migratory brid feathers require a special permit to possess and are oo much hassle to make it worth bringing. turkey, crow feathers work for me. One personal point I make in camp is to remove crow feathers in 'peace' situations since they are black and that had socio-political connotations. This also applies to black paint on my person. White down was commonly inserted into pierced ears or placed in the hair, and was sometimes dyed red. chicken hackle feathers work nicely (natives had chickens too!). *One thing to avoid are the ubiquitous 'roaches' (see below) worn by so many reenactors. These are over-represented on the field. They consist of a arc of red deer hair on a leather tab (which does have some documentation), or a ring of stripped turkey feathers (no documentation). Both are placed in the hair. In addition to a limited record of artifacts and imagery, I have also heard the suggestion that the red deer hair roaches were badges of rank, explaining their limited appearance as artifacts and in historical accounts, and why they appear as trophies on some artifacts. Woven or beaded hair garters were common, as were 'strings of beads' like the ones seen on the Mohawk in Benjamin West's "The Death of Wolfe".   with silver brooches, strings of beads, Silver Ball and cone earrings (the narrow shape is more appropriate for Northeastern impressions, the cone should be wider). Left: Glass trade beads (ovoid and 6/0 'seed'). Kaolin pipe stem beads, shell gorget repo of Occaneechi town find. Bone and horn pendants are influenced by historically available materials and designs. Paint "The warlike arms used by the Cherokee are Guns, bows and arrows, darts, scalping knives, and tomahawks" - Lt Henry Timberlake  Knife - Trade knives were identical to simple kitchen knives of the 18th century. Produced by makers in both France and England, each country's had distinct blade profiles, though they were known to imitate each other. Many English knives came with handles that were either round or octagonal. They were also described as being red, though it is uncertain if these were naturally red woods, or painted (intentionally or through contact with warpaint) like the examples below. Simply put, English 'scalpers' had either a straight spine (back), or were ground in the middle to make it appear that the tip of the blade was higher than the spine. Handles could also have been 'pistol cap'd' - featuring a rounded bulbous end. French knives often had a small downward curve at the tip of the spine. Folding knives were also extremely common. They were traded by the gross, and show up frequently in archaeological digs. Many sutlers carry appropriate styles, or you can seek out a hand-forged example like the one shown below.  There are two mentions of neck sheaths by Adair:
"As neither of them had any weapons, except a long knife round their neck in a sheath, they were afraid to attack him, on so hazardous a lay." ( History of the American Indians, James Adair-Account of the Muskohge Nation) "This honourable service is
thus performed- They seize the head of the disabled, or dead person,
and placing one of their feet on the neck, they with one hand twisted
in the hair, extend it as far as they can-with the other hand, the
barbarous artists speedily draw their long sharp-pointed knife out of a
sheath from their breast, give a slash round the top of the skull, and
with a few dexterous scoops, soon strip it off." (Adair-General Observations of the American Indians)
. Pictured at left is a proper form of one of the most common trade items, an octagonal-handled English trade knife 'scalper'. Courtesy Jim Apple. Blade 7" Carbon steel. Below left, centre, and right are knives made by myself.     Gun - I carry a "Type G" English Trade Musket, also referred to as a Carolina Gun in historic records. Stocked in beech or some other historically cheap wood, these muskets were between .54 and .62 calibre (20 ga), and in many cases were fully painted by the manufacturer to add decoration and presumably as a protective measure while they crossed the Atlantic. average cost for one trade gun was about 35 deerskins. Fancier models did exist and were tokens of gratitude to leaders or those under contract. short guns, called canoe, carbine, or blanket guns were not prevalent (or didn't exist) and should be avoided. While there is some documentation of natives carrying rifles, they were uncommon and do not present the image of 'everyday and common goods" which an important part of the visual foundation. There are few makers of these type G's, two of whom are Jack Brooks and Mike Brooks (unrelated). These gentlemen are producing great arms and mike even sells kit if you are inclined to build one yourself. Tomahawk - basic throwing tomahawk available from many sutlers. I re-profiled mine to look like some artifacts I have seen. Low on the priority list because I don't chop wood or practice much butchering at events. Eventually this will be replaced with a forged wrought iron model for authenticity. Also shown is a spike tomahawk. Brass smoking tomahawks were not as common (about 10:1 on some trade lists) so I have not gone out of my way to get one. Edged weapons should have a blade cover; accidental amputations are documentable. Spear - Spears show up in native archaeology; I carry mine to events where I know I will not be firing a gun. Musket tool - useful for tightening cock, lock plate screws. Also: brush+vent pick - another basic gun tool for cleaning
Needles - Using poor-quality needles will lead to frustration, a sloppy job, and potentially mechanical failure (breaking the eye, bending, etc). Richard Hemming or John James needles are made in England of good quality steel, and will last. Thimble - Thimbles were used as much for decoration as sewing, and had a specific shape. The only person producing 18th century-appropriate thimbles is At the Eastern Door (pictured left) (Documentation) 
 Thread - Linen thread was the most commonly traded, and could be either natural or bleached white. This was used for repairing clothes or sewing decorations to matchcoats and moccasins. There are different weights (thicknesses) available, use the appropriate thread for the job. Wax - Beeswax was used by stitchers to allow the thread to pass through the fabric more easily, as well as preventing fraying. Since natives always have some oil nearby, this would also serve. Cooking In towns and seasonal hunting locations, larger and/or more delicate vessels would have been found. This includes large brass or tin kettles obtained in trade, or native-made cooking pots and dishes. On campaign Romans noted that natives operated much like the British army did: one man took the 'mess' pot and at the end of the day every man contributed his ration to it. These rations were corn, either ground, parched, or whole (dried). Other foods could be dried, like fruits or deer meat; many others available seasonally. It is beneficial to know what foods are edible in your area as a talking point and personae immersion.    Here you see some basic items . Both a wooden (mountain laurel) effigy and brass spoon. Maple cup with bear effigy, larger oak bowl, burned and carved out. Deerskin bags for jerky and corn.British kettles were made with "Bristol" brass or tin, while French kettles were often brass. Brass kettles were often unlined. The kettle pictured is unlined steel All tinware during this time was Hot Dipped. This meant that the sheet (wrought) iron was fluxed and a layer of tin was applied by dipping in a molten tin bath. The product has a much thicker layer of tin than modern electroplate. This method reduced the number of voids on the surface of the iron where tin did not adhere, and allowed the sheet to last longer. The tin kettles could have been made with this method, or constructed and the tin applied by hand only to the inside, in an act of frugality. It is unknown what method was used here in the south, although simply dipping is much quicker. As these kettles wore out they would be repaired or hacked apart to make arrowheads or jewelry. Links to sites that describe a basic portrayal kit:
(may not be applicable to the southeast)
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My 'Kit' |
