THE CHEROKEE TURBAN
ministers, who deemed the appearance of Mankiller, Stalking Turkey,
Little Carpenter, and other chiefs who made the trip to England
much too severe to be looked upon by their King. The King's
ministers changed the Cherokee visitors into garments which had
been left behind by a delegation from India.
The Cherokee chiefs returned to the Cherokee Nation
with the garments, which included the turbans.
These turbans and jackets became highly-treasured
items, worn for special occasions.
At first, Cherokees made additional turbans from
expensive imported cloths, but with the introduction
of the spinning wheel by George Washington, the
Cherokees began making their own cloth, from which
the Cherokee men fashioned headwear styled like the
exotic (and by now deteriorating) turbans worn at Council
by the aged chiefs who had "crossed the water."
TURBAN WHILE ON CHEROKEE
BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
and Sam Houston, this colorful headgear was the
preferred "traditional" hat among men of the Eastern
Woodland Tribes. Some among the Eastern Tribes
preferred the European style of dress, particularly when
in Washington D.C. on tribal business. But General Sam Houston,
one of the few men ever legally adopted by the Cherokee,
was an exception. After being governor and congressman
from Tennessee, and before becoming President of Texas,
he sojourned for a time with the Old Settlers. He delighted
in wearing his turban while on Cherokee business in
Washington D.C., and had the picture above painted
as a memento of his trip.
