CEREMONIAL DRESS
All local tribes used the beautiful salmon colored feathers of the
Red-shafted Flicker, a woodpecker also known to us by the name
Yellowhammer. A headband of the bird’s feathers—the stiff quills—was
worn on the forehead. Mountain Maidu doctors wore this item also as a
belt. In addition Atsugewi made a full feather band which was worn in a
variety of ways including hanging down the back. This was usually used
only by the shamans.
Another ceremonial item was the California or Acorn Woodpecker scalp
headband. This usually had a buckskin strap base, however, mountain
Maidu glued these gay feathered patches onto fur bands, Yana wore
woodpecker scalps on buckskin as belts.
Mountain Maidu made belts of bands on which the showy greenish feathered
neck skins of male Mallard Ducks in mating plumage were strung.
For ceremonial use it was generally customary to tuck small tufts of
feathers into the top of the hair. Among Atsugewi, chiefs only used
eagle feathers for this purpose. This tribe also fastened single
feathers into the crown of buckskin caps in a radiating manner, and also
onto strips hanging down the back. Sometimes feathers were tipped with
small white feathers to make the former even more decorative. Feathers
were also fastened to head nets in a number of ways which differed
somewhat among our tribes. Among Atsugewi, women wore these on occasion,
but generally it was the males who decked themselves with feathers.
Feather plumes of various sorts, employing either twisted buckskin or
stick bodies, were also in general use.