It's time for the Indian Fair! I drove out to Anadarko this morning and met up with Tracy's bunch to watch the parade. Boy howdy, was it hot! The bank's thermometer said it was 125*, but I don't think it was really that hot. This is going to be an image-heavy post. You've been warned.

A Color Guard to start off the parade. This is the Comanche Indian Veterans Association Color Guard. They were followed by a marching band and bag-pipers (in kilts!).

Charlie Parton, Anadarko Schools' most devoted and spirited fan. "Let's get fired up!"

Here come the floats.

Two staples of the Indian Fair parade -- princesses and ponies. This is Arapaho Tribal Princess Mikayla Skye Horse.

A couple of lovely ladies carrying the banner for the Delaware Nation.

Here's Delaware Nation Princess Silvina Kionute. See those beads she's throwing? I caught 'em!

Fancy dancers.

I don't know how these little guys managed not to pass out from dehydration.

Samantha Wells is serving as the Junior Princess for the Oklahoma Southwest Vietnam Veterans organization.

Next up is the Caddo Nation. 

Shayna Sullivan was selected as the Caddo Nation's princess.

Remember that I mentioned is was REALLY hot today? These guys know how to stay cool.

The Apache Fire Dancers are always a favorite.

Some of these men were sweating off their paint.

This mischievous guy helped himself to a kid's candy. 

Aiden Cozad, braving the heat in buckskin and wool, is the Kiowa Tribal Princess.

This sign was one of several on a vehicle, representing a drug intervention program (I think). I have many questions, not the least of which is why would someone replace their thumb with a beer bottle.

Here's Comanche Nation Princess Desire' Attocknie. Smart girl has her water close at hand. A lot of floats threw bottles of cold water instead of candy. Best. Idea. Ever.

Comanche Little Ponies Princess Angelica Blackstar has that princess wave down.

And in the last photo, we have Carrie Makah Klinekole, the Princess for the Kiowa-Apache Blackfoot Society. This young lady deserves big time credit for making it to the parade this morning since the Blackfoot Society had their annual ceremonial this past weekend. That's dedication, right there.

Some time ago, I wrote a review of  Uncommon Threads: Wabanaki Textiles, Clothing, and Costume. The book review is now out in the latest issue of Museum Anthropology Review and is available here.

In short, I really enjoyed this book. Beautifully illustrated, it is a companion to an exhibit launched by the Maine State Museum. Much more than a catalog of the objects in the exhibit, though, the authors provide an examination of the history, art, and culture of the Maritime Peninsula's indigenous population. Bourque and LaBar demonstrate how Wabanaki textiles, broadly defined as everything from fish weirs to beaded moccasins, began as life-sustaining activities, became a source of income, and today exist as an important marker of cultural identity.

On March 2nd, I did a presentation for the Hasinai Society's weekly meeting. This talk will covered the 150-year history that the Caddo and Delaware share and the impacts that this has had on their cultural traditions. Originally, I developed this presentation for the 2010 Delaware Nation's History Summit. 

In putting together this presentation, I came across this 1830s era depiction of a Caddo woman's dress (at left). Though a lot has changed, this vaguely reminds me of the blouse and skirt outfits that are worn today. 

This photo (at right) is an example of contemporary Delaware clothing (from the Lenape Legacy powwow in 2002). Naturally, I was struck by the similarities between this outfit and the 1830s Caddo outfit, especially the dark blue skirt.

What we see at right is similar to the two-piece Caddo dress worn today, except that the Caddo skirt would be ankle-length and much fuller, usually worn with an apron and without leggings.