The Significance Of Hair In Native American Culture
Jan 04, 2019
There are many teachings and practices in our tribal cultures that are significant to who we are as Native people. One of many things important to our cultural identity is, our hair. 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. As part of the practice in self-respect, we are taught to take good care of our hair through proper grooming. In preparation for ceremonies, we take great care in the grooming, styling, and ornamentation of our hair. Our hairstyle and ornamentation are guided by the values of our family and tribe. It is a form of creative self-expression that reinforces our connection to our family, tribe, and Creation. Some tribes will use two braids, while others will use three. Some families will paint their hair depending on the ceremony or their family’s distinction. Women and men will adorn their hair with fur wraps, woolen wraps, feathers, fluffs, and bead work for war dancing and ceremonies.
How we relate to our hair is a constant reminder of our connection to our culture and a distinct worldview grounded in the sacredness of relationships. Braiding a child’s hair is the beginning of establishing an intimate and nurturing relationship. My mother used to braid my little brother’s hair every day before school. When my grandfather died, my mother cut my brother’s hair. She expressed the sadness she felt because she could no longer sit with him and braid his hair. It was a special time of bonding for the two of them.
At pow-wows, it is common to see family members and friends brushing and braiding hair for each other. It’s a beautiful way to bond and a powerful way to reinforce the sacredness of relationships. There is a teaching about the symbolism of the braid, itself, that reaffirms this practice. It is said that single strands of hair are weak when tugged on, however, when you pull all of the hair together in a braid the hair is strong. This reinforces the value of the family and tribe along with our connection to all of creation.
When I was about 5 years old, my grandfather first told me about being forced to cut his hair when he was carted off to boarding school, and I am sure I heard this more than a dozen times as I grew up. But as I got older, he would tell me more about his experience and what it meant to him. Eventually, he told me his hair was cut in an effort to strip him of his culture and identity. Cutting his hair was their way of showing dominance over him through forced assimilation. He said that every time his hair was cut, he would cry, and every time he would cry, he would be physically punished. Unfortunately, being forced to cut our hair was a common practice in many institutions and schools across the country, and is still occurring as recent as 2018.
His story is important because we are taught as children that we don’t cut our hair unless we have experienced a significant loss, like the death of a close family member, traumatic event or significant life change. Tribes have different teachings about the value of hair and how to care for it. In our family, we are taught that our hair is a physical extension of all our thoughts, prayers, dreams, aspirations, experiences and history. When we cut our hair, it represents the end of something that once was and a new beginning. When we do have to cut our hair, it is never to be thrown away, but rather, burned with sage or sweetgrass in a ceremonial way. When our hair is burned, all of our thoughts, prayers, dreams, aspirations, experiences, and history rise to the Creator to be properly taken care of. We are then guided in the direction for our prayers to be answered. Throwing our hair away is a form of personal disrespect. So, when my Grandfather had his hair cut off and thrown away, his tears were of deep grief, confusion, helplessness, and shame. It was against everything he had ever been taught, along with grieving the loss of everything his hair represented to him. When this cultural practice was common in most Native communities, it was easy to recognize when someone in the community was grieving or experiencing a significant change in their life, because their long hair was no longer.
With our hair embodying so much of who we are, boundaries are important. Touching someone’s hair without permission is disrespectful in the Native community. Some even find that asking permission is a form of disrespect, especially with children and elders. This is not something to take personal, it’s our way of protecting ourselves from the energy of someone we know nothing about.
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Photo Credit: Esperanza Califas Tomeo
Child in photo: Willis Tomeo
111 comments
As a sioux of SD, the significants of our hair had everything to do with culture. We grew it our, to get closer to Mother Earth. We allowed close family member to braid it as well as significant others. It is our lifeline. When my grandmother died years ago, she cut my hair, her reasoning was so she could find me when I passed. It is nice knowing that she has always been looking our for me even throughout being gone for over 10 years.
Just tonight, I had the privilege of being able to braid a young man’s hair. His name was Cody, he works for the Navajo Scouts fighting fire. Currently here in Oregon they were assigned to the fire that I was working on as a Fireline Paramedic. At first when the other people I worked with asked me if I knew how I told them that I had done it a could times but I wasn’t very good at it. What I didn’t know is that it was this gentleman that was wanting it braided. He walked over with his boss I believe and the boss said “I brought him with me” I had been on the line all day and was tired at that point I still did not realize what was happening. I went into our medical yurt and saw one of the other gals who was going put it in just a regular braid starting to brush it because that’s all any of us claimed we could do… It was then I realized he really wanted it French braided. So I offered to do so if he would like. He agreed to have me do it. I warned him though that it might not look super good, but he was okay with that. I brushed his hair very gently and then proceeded to put it in the best French braid that I could. When all said and done he gratefully shook my hand and thanked me. I wanted to give him a hug and thank him for letting me do that for him. But wasn’t sure if I should do that or not, even though I am a hugger. But wish I woulda, if I see him again I plan to. I went to my pick up afterwards where I sleep when I’m out on the Fireline and thought about it for a long time. The only feeling I had was the feeling of “what an honor” truthfully. So I googled, “what is the importance of being able to braid a natives hair?” I came across your little sight and clicked it. I read it all and now I truly know that it indeed was such an honor to be able to do that for him. Jena the other gal originally who was going to put it in a basic braid told me that she saw him just go into a very relaxed state of mind and I just had good feelings come over me. I always have known that natives hair was a very special and sacred part of who one is in the native culture. But I learned a lot more about it by reading on this sight. So thank you!!!!
I am the product of a biracial union between my black mixed race father and mixed race mother. When Alex Haley’s Roots TV miniseries was aired, it prompted me to know my ancestry. My [deceased] father worked for Amtrak. One day on a trip from New York City to Miami, FL, I asked him about his ancestors. They immigrated from Liverpool, England, U.K. to the U.S. with a stop in Kingston, Jamaica. They settled in Florida and intermarried with the Choctaw and Cherokee Native Americans. My mother was ignorant about such things; I went to my Jewish grandmother for that. She was of Sephardic Jewish and Irish ancestry. Growing up my mother never taught [me] the importance of caring for my hair. My hair is naturally curly yet, to fit in with white kids at school, she straightened my hair. It reached my waist. Had I worn my natural curly hair, for sure I’d be ostracized for not fitting in. When I turned 12, she turned its care to me…knowing I knew anything about hair care. It was ruined trying to emulate white fashion models in magazines like Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and Glamour. Then the Jheri Curl was popular; I got one and my hair grew.
While the Jheri curl grew out, my hair began to break. Not having any sense, I continued using a chemical relaxer for 20 years. In 2004 while living in Florida, my relaxed hair grew past my waist. Unfortunately, it began to break off again. In July 2008, I met and fell in love with my husband who noticed my damaged hair. After we married in 2011, I was desperate—turning to the internet for help. I went to my then amazon.com account and looked for books on how to regrow my natural curly hair. I found a wonderful book Curly Like Me by Teri LaFlesh. It was a Godsend, the author’s experiences with her biracial hair resonated with me. I immediately began following the steps she outlined and each month I cut 1/4" to 1/2" of relaxed hair until it was all gone. I made the mistake of watching way too many youtube videos of different women with natural curly hair. What I didn’t realize is that their hair regimens for their curls was different from mine. No two curlies are alike. My hair began to mat. I went back to wearing my natural curly hair in 2012. Long hair was not my focus, healthy hair was. Once it was pampered and healthy, only then could I focus on growing it long again and retaining its length. I’m very happy to say that the journey was worth it. My natural curls hang past my shoulder blades now and I put it in 4 twists, pinned up with the ends out of the air.
Unfortunately, my biracial curls do not react well to braiding. Twists work much better. I’m now researching how important hair is in Native American and Chinese cultures. I will NEVER cut my hair, use heat on it or set foot in a hair salon again. Children must be taught the importance of wearing their hair proudly…whether it’s straight or curly or in between. Some women with straight hair try to wear it curly and curlies want to straighten theirs. I’ll never understand that and realize that people must respect the cultural differences regarding hair.