CLOTHING
The members of all tribes, especially the Yana and Yahi, went bareheaded
much of the time. However, basketry caps nearly hemispherical in shape
and of fine tightly twined weave were worn regularly by Indian women.
The caps were probably worn to prevent chafing of the pack straps
originally, but Atsugewi women wore them most of the time. Such hats
were well decorated with overlaid designs typical of the tribes under
consideration. Those of Yana and Yahi were usually of tule with black
and white overlay. Mountain Maidu made some coiled basketry caps, not
infrequently employing tules or reeds.
Men of all our tribes wore fur headbands on occasion and among Atsugewi,
fur or buckskin caps too, especially in winter, when shallow bucket
shaped skin hats of coyote, raccoon, mink and the like afforded
protection against the rather intense cold.
Eyeshades attached to a band around the head were worn by some Yana
women so as not to see their sons-in-law! Atsugewi men and possibly
others might wear side blinds when spearing fish at night to keep torch
light out of their eyes.
Children up to about six years of age ran about naked, and often the
older men and women did likewise, particularly among the Maidu.
Buckskin dresses were worn to some extent by the women of most local
tribes. The mountain Maidu dress was tied at both shoulders and tied or
belted at the waist. The garment was provided with flaps over the upper
arms but lacked sleeves. Buckskin dresses were worn by some Indian women
rich in worldly goods, and usually for special occasions. Recent
buckskin dresses, of course, are sewn on sewing machines, neatly
tailored, and follow the general pattern of the conventional dress,
including regular sleeves.
In normal everyday garb Indian women were naked above the waist. A
wrap-around skirt, or, more frequently two narrow or wide aprons were
worn. Sometimes one apron went around the hips, being tied in back and
provided with a buckskin flap which covered the wearer’s buttocks. The
Indian women’s aprons were commonly made of shredded incense-cedar,
willow, or juniper bark, or of tules. In the case of Yana and Yahi
women, frequently grass or shredded, spring-gathered, broad-leaf maple
bark were used. The latter was a favorite valley Maidu skirt material.
The double aprons might however be made of whole buckskin or of strips
or cords of buckskin, and in winter furs might be used for the purpose.
The double apron is recognized as the standard garb of California Indian
women. That of the Maidu was often very narrow, being not much more than
a front and a rear tassel.
[Illustration: A beautiful old Shasta buckskin woman’s wrap-around
apron ornamented with tan, black, and red vegetable fiber bound
slitting in the manner of coarse modern hemstitching, with strings
of olivella shells and shaped abalone pendants, and finished on the
bottom with long buckskin fringes. The garment is much like the more
pretentious aprons described for Atsugewi.]
[Illustration: Detail of ornamentation on the Shasta buckskin apron]
[Illustration: Mountain Maidu woman’s tassel-type of shredded bark
apron, about twenty two inches long. Some such aprons were
considerably wider (after Dixon).]
[Illustration: Woman’s basketry cap probably Atsugewi or Shasta.
Note the design placed on top as well as on the sides of the basket,
in contrast to other types of baskets. The bottoms of which are
devoid both of design and overlay materials and so present an
unadorned pine-root surface.]
Women’s casual aprons and other clothing were not highly ornamented, but
“dress-up” clothes might be fairly elaborately trimmed. Fringing of
buckskin, spangles of shell money and ornaments, strings of shell beads,
pine nuts, deer hoofs, and special white grass fringes commonly
decorated their better clothes.
In the summer some men, and particularly old ones wore nothing at all.
Most others wore very little clothing besides a sort of loin covering of
buckskin or fur which went between the legs and was held in place back
and front by a belt about the waist. A crude buckskin shirt without
sleeves was sometimes used.
During winter above aprons, skirts, or loin covering other garments were
worn. Then men commonly wore the sleeveless buckskin shirt. Both sexes
usually wore robes of woven rabbit skins (usually imported by the
Atsugewi), or made of deer or bear fur and worn with the hair side
inside. Or else the robes were of a patchwork of small mammal skins sewn
together. These same robes were frequently used for bedding at night. As
a matter of fact almost any sort of skins available might be used as
robes. These were tied on in a variety of ways. The wearers must have
presented a rather motley appearance. On occasion small poncho style
robes with a central hole for the head and neck clothed the upper bodies
of local Indians during cold weather.
[Illustration: Atsugewi fringed buckskin dress of pioneer period]
[Illustration: An Atsugewi legging made of lashing tules together
with a simple twining stitch]
[Illustration: Maidu buckskin moccasin about eleven inches long
(after Dixon)]
Thumbless mittens were made of cased skins of weasels, rats or small
cottontail rabbits and tied at the wrist with a thong. Atsugewi also
utilized their fur-lined quivers as muffs when hunting.
California Indians spent much of the time barefoot, but wore buckskin
moccasins at war, on long hunts or journeys. Different styles were made
by each of the local tribes. None, however, were normally decorated.
Mountain Maidu also made moccasins of fur with the hair side in, and
Atsugewi stuffed pounded grass or grass into their footwear or wore
grass or tule slippers inside their moccasins during the winter. Maidu
put soft grass or sedges in their moccasins for added warmth. An extra
sole of tougher leather such as elkskin was sometimes sewn onto the
moccasin, but this was not customary.
Occasionally open sandals held on by three or four thongs were worn by
Atsugewi and Yana.
[Illustration: Maidu snowshoe with raw-hide lashings]
[Illustration: Snowshoe of about eighteen inches in diameter (after
Dixon)]
Knee length leggings of various materials were common in winter. These
were tied on with buckskin strips at ankle and knee. Yana used
hip-length pantleg type leggings held on with waist bands. Atsugewi
sometimes employed fur pieces, twined tule, or spiral wrap-around fur
strip leggings. Maidu used deerhide leggings with the hair side inside.
These went from ankles to above the knees where they were tied, and were
held close to the leg by an outside spirally wound thong from top to
bottom.
Snowshoes were a necessity too in the rigorous climate of even the lower
portions of the areas inhabited by tribes of the Lassen area,
particularly in those of the Atsugewi and mountain Maidu. Snowshoes of
the former Indians were circular in plan; those of the latter were oval.
Snowshoes were fashioned from small green wooden limbs shaped while hot,
and then crisscrossed with strips of buckskin or hide with the fur side
down for better traction. Atsugewi used green juniper limbs for the
purpose. Since the whole foot was bound firmly to this footgear, there
was no heel play as in the case of white mans’ snowshoes.