Spirit Dance Pants Item Number: A6887 a from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Black velvet trousers machine sewn with cotton lining, plaid suspenders, blue and black sequins down sides of legs and along the bottoms.

Cultural Context

ceremonial; winter dances

Narrative

This costume was purchased from a man from Cowichan Bay. It came to his oldest son from the boy's uncle. The pants have hardly been worn, but the short or jacket has been used for many years. The white paddles are made from the pussy willow tree and the red-tipped ones from yew. Originally the whole costume was used with a human hair headdress by a dancer with the warrior spirit. The previous owner also has the warrior spirit, but he only used the shirt and didn't use the hair headdress but a simple one of cedar bark... This costume is the older type with pants, jacket or shirt, and wool leggings. In this case the leggings are put on seperately, often they are sewn directly to the pants.