Feathers and There Pastiched History

Feathers are everywhere. They are weaved into our clothes and accessories and sewn onto our homely furnishings. Feathers have always been an elegant accessory to our fashionable lifestyles. They have been used for Military uniforms, floristry, hat adornments back in the 1800's, Feather fans in burlesque. They are everywhere still in fashion today. In western culture they are simply used as a fashion accessory but elsewhere in indigenous cultures around the world they are used as a connection to the other world. The spirit world. 

In these tribes feathers are their connection to the spirit world. Birds can fly and the tribes and shamans of those tribes believe that the birds can connect them to the other world. They believe that Birds are the messenger of the gods and that they can receive messages from the gods through them. The birds are the only being that can fly through the different worlds. 

When I read this I just thought it was so beautiful. I love nature and I love how you can feel so connected to it just by being in it. I love that there is such a huge connection to animals in these indigenous tribes and how there is a give and take relationship with nature. They rely on nature and its gifts to survive.

In these tribes there is always a shaman. He or she might also be known as a medicine man/woman, spirit reader, healer, and messenger to his tribe. They are a very respected member of the tribe and their role is very important for their survival. Shamans, as part of their practise, mimick the animal world with costume. They feel that by being the animal, acting like the animal, they can connect and communicate with the animal kingdom. The shaman in these tribes is the the bridge between the world of nature and the human world. 

I really want to Mimic this in this project. I love the idea that they mimick the animal kingdom to connect with them. I really want to have a further look at Mayan, Native American, Maori, and native Hawaiian indigenous people. I want to look a little closer at their shaman's and see if I can draw some inspiration for a contemporary interpretation.