Description

The Caddo tribe originally came north from the Texas/southeastern area of the US, and are related to the Pawnee. They settled in central-western Oklahoma. Their ceremonialism is heavily allied to their Turkey Dance, which is a woman’s prerogative during which men served only as onlooking participants. The Caddo hair ornaments are very special to the women who make and wear them. They rarely appear outside the community context.

The German silver band at the bow’s midpoint is adapted from an Indian child’s bracelet made by neighboring tribes and dates early in the 20th c. Such hair-ties were worn vertically, tied into the hair of the dancer at the back of the neck.

This hourglass-shaped women’s head ornament is believed to be repurposed as a decorative item for sale. This child-sized piece dates to the early 20th century (1890-1910) and features sewn-on nickel spots in a traditional pattern. Tracy Burrows notes that the center band appears to be a repurposed child’s bracelet, and the ribbons were likely repurposed as well. The back consists of wool felt with a wall-hanging attachment and hanging dyed horsehair. Burrows observes that this piece is smaller than standard size, and that most dust-ohs typically have four layers.

Dust-oh construction varies by family. In Tracy’s family, the process begins with a base featuring a ribbon band to attach to hair. The design piece is then sewn on, sandwiching the ribbon band. The fabric wraps around the headboard, and the wearer’s hair is tied into a bun within the fabric pocket, that is pinned and then wrapped with ribbon.The dust-oh’s hourglass shape reflects the songs of the Turkey Dance and Drum Dance. Tracy explains that it represents an emergence story: the lower portion symbolizes people who remained underground, the middle section represents the plain where people live, and the upper section represents where the Caddo(?) people dwell. Ribbons at the top of the hourglass honor warriors who have passed on, while ribbons at the bottom serve as remembrance of their people. In Tracy’s family, mirrors attached to the ribbons were believed to ward off evil spirits and were not worn at night. Tracy notes that different families maintain various interpretations of the stories associated with the ribbons and mirrors. The piece is worn during the Turkey Dance, which tells a traditional story about Caddo tribal warriors. This dance must be completed before nightfall.

Watch artist Tracy Newkumet Burrows speak about this piece on Collections Spotlight, May 2020.