ALSO KNOWN AS "DUTCH"
CHEROKEE CHIEF FROM
TEXAS AND DUTCH'S CREEK
to have survived. Paintings and photographs guide in the creation
of this historic headgear that fell into disuse following the
Civil War. There are no original patterns to be followed.
The creation of the modern turban began when
Troy Wayne Poteete wrapped an old felt hat with colorful
cloth to affect the look of the turbans shown in paintings of
Eastern Woodland Tribal Leaders. His wife, Elizabeth, a
math teacher specializing in the learning styles of Native
American children, began to apply that conceptual aptitude
characteristic of the Cherokee people to the almost-forgotten
seamstress skills she had picked up as a young girl while
working at the Cherokee Nation's sewing factory.
The creation of the modern Cherokee Turban was a
collaborative process between these two. After years of
effort, the process was perfected with the completion
of the current versatile design, which is the seventh
ahls du lo or "wrapping hat."
