How to Pack a Feather Headdress [video demonstration]

– by Tracey

With their long trailers and crowns of feathers, headdresses are one of the most visually striking Plains Indian art forms, and for many, they can also be one of the most intimidating pieces to move or even think of trying to ship.

But, let's think about this for a second…
During the days of feather headdresses, the Plains Indians were always on the move - their lives centered around following the great buffalo herds. This meant all their possessions (including their feather headdresses) had to be packed up and moved pretty regularly and sometimes rather quickly.

The Lakota are known for their careful craftsmanship, but they were also amazing designers and carefully considered mobility in the making of their clothing, regalia, and even their shelter. The portability of their possessions was a matter of survival…they didn't have time to work around extremely fragile pieces (even if they were extremely important) and possibly jeopardize missing a hunting opportunity, as this could be devastating to the tribe.

The Question
So, back to these elaborately decorated, fragile looking pieces (and one of the questions we get asked the most)…just how do you pack up a headdress?

The Answer
Just watch as Lynn Thomas, our fearless Native Gallery manager, demonstrates:

  1. Hold the headdress up with one hand.
  2. With the other, pull crown and tails together.
  3. Lay the piece down on a smooth, flat surface.
  4. Once it's flat, make sure to keep the edges and tails together.
  5. Pull whatever may be accenting the sides of the headdress (ribbons, ermines…) to the inside.
  6. Starting at the crown, begin to roll it (similar to a sleeping bag). Just be careful not to roll it super tight (the feathers are reinforced at the back so they lay flat; if its rolled to tightly, this could break this reinforcement).

…and Voila! That's how we pack up a headdress.