2019.005.00002

Description: 

Charles Van Schiack Photography Collection; Wisconsin State Historical Society; George Greendeer Photograph Collection. Charles Van Schiack's photography studio was in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

Cultural Narrative: 

Ho-Chunk young males dressed in traditional dress for going to town and at times to take the photograph. Both young men are wearing beaded panel shirts. Loom beaded belts and garters. One is wearing two beaded bandolier bags. One is wearing a shell necklace with light colored beads. And Ho-Chunk style flap mocassins that were worn by both males and females.

Traditional Knowledge: 

Traditional dress of the Ho-Chunk male. For quite a few younger men that were single they would dress up to show their wealth to the brother's of female families that they want to marry. It was the brother's that would make decisions of the marriage of their sisters. At times, if there was no brother it would be the father and mother to make the marriage decisions. This type of dress was how the young males would dress to dance at a social gathering among the Ho-Chunk communities in Wisconsin. It is also said, traditionally this choker was worn as armor to protect the throat during battle. Only certain clans could were the shell necklaces.

Location: