Our hair is considered sacred and significant to who we are as an individual, family, and community. In many tribes, it is believed that a person's long hair represents a strong cultural identity. This strong cultural identity promotes self-esteem, self-respect, a sense of belonging, and a healthy sense of pride.
Hair has a deep tie to old and new life across tribes. In Native culture, a widespread belief is that when someone's hair is cut, they lose a small part of their relationship with themselves. In the Navajo Nation, hair is cut to mourn death in the immediate family.
Nearly every Indian tribe, especially those that were well organized, paid particular attention to having the hair neatly trimmed. There were three general reasons why the hair was cut. First there was the reason of convenience and cleanliness. Long hair became tangled and dirty; it was not easy to care for.
Its a myth that our people can't have naturally curly hair, and can have it being full Blood Native American Indians of the Americas.
Indian women have long, shiny, and irresistibly beautiful hair, and caring for it is deeply embedded in the Indian culture. There are many beauty secrets Indian mothers and grandmothers have been passing down through the generations, and one of them is braiding your hair every night before you go to bed.
Dressing up as a Native American is never appropriate. For years, classrooms across the country have included special days where students "dress up" as Native Americans for different celebrations and lesson activities. Often, the outfits people wear to look "Indian" have nothing to do with Native people and cultures.
You didn't think dreadlocks were specific to Rastafarians and black culture, did you? In some Native American tribes, notably the Cree and Mohave, the men often wore twisted and matted locks, frequently hanging below their waistline.
Cornrows dated far back to 3000 B.C., particularly in the Horn and West coasts of Africa. In the early 1500s, the style was used as a communication medium amongst various African societies that were later forced to migrate to the Americas as slaves, where their customs followed.
Friction, lack of moisture, chemical damage and humidity can cause frizzy hair. But another thing that determines how the hair cuticles appear depends on how you treat your hair before and after taking shower. Here are few haircare tips that you can try post shower to tame the frizz and flaunt smooth and silky hair.
In general, ancient and contemporary Native Americans were predicted to have intermediate/brown eyes, black hair, and intermediate/darker skin pigmentation.
The story of human migration and evolution is written in hair DNA. In sub-Saharan Africa, genes favour tight, curly hair. But in east Asia, mutations have led to straighter, thicker hair. In Europe, other mutations brought wavy and straw-coloured hair.
Among many Native American Nations, braided hair represents the union with the infinite (or The Creator). Free-flowing hair represents the freedom of Life.
For some indigenous men and boys, their braids are a symbol of strength, wisdom, and are something that reflects their identity.
For many Native Americans, braided hair signifies unity with the infinite, and allowing the hair to flow freely signifies the free flow of life.
Similarly, the practice is recorded in Europe, Africa, India, China, Japan, Australasia and Central Asia. Braiding is traditionally a social art. Because of the time it takes to braid hair, people have often taken time to socialize while braiding and having their hair braided.