hallo thar

[i_coyolxauhqui]

so I just joined this community and was reading like every single entry ever and practically SHAT myself because I saw a post when in the comments someone linked to some other posts but it was like steampunk-native american

Comments

[lunakitten]

Oooh... thank you for posting this.
I've been thinking about this for a while, being of Mexican descent, and thinking of costuming along the lines of Wild West steampunk- because that would be a persona that would suit who I am, honor where I come from, and let me delight in what I love about steampunk (or steamgoth, really, since that would be closer to my personal aesthetic).

I like the fusion I see with Far East and Southeast Asian that comes from the British/Victorian steam, especially when done respectfully, and it seems to me that it would be possible to do something similar with Mexican and Native culture.

[i_coyolxauhqui]

I was staring at your icon wondering where I had seen it, and realized you are a fatshionista. Hullo there!

I am really intrigued in the comments people are posting, because they arent what I was thinking at all! Oh the more minds we have thinking the more ideas we will have :D

[__uptight]

i want pictures of your outfits right now.

[i_coyolxauhqui]

of my....steampunk outfits? I haven't put any together yet :D

[__uptight]

your normal outfits! i wanna see how you fit moccasins and whatnot into every day wear!

[i_coyolxauhqui]

oh, haha. I dont have any pics on hand, I just wear them with whatever I happen to be wearing. I wear lots of leggings/dresses? and I wore feathers in my hair more when I had nice long dreads, but I ended up having to cut them off and my hair is REALLY short now, and the only way I've figured out how to wear my feathers is in my hats, sadly.

[asmeone]

Those two styles seem to be totally incompatible at first glance, but it could be really, really cool...

Maybe do some goggles that look like they are made from bone or rock?

Wrought metal feathers?

Maybe the beeding stylized to show gears or clocks?

[i_coyolxauhqui]

I like this idea a lot!

the post (s) that I saw mostly consisted of old portraits of indian chiefs that were wearing facepaint and feathers and things WITH European styles of the day, like the shirts and hats and things, so thats what I was thinking of when I made the post, but these are really amazing ideas!

[i_coyolxauhqui]

:O

those are crazy!

[painangrrfear]

My first thought was beadwork incorporating gear designs instead of, or in addition to, the traditional patterns.

You might also add gears to a jingle dress.

A ceremonial blanket robe would be really striking with gears instead of or along with the traditional buttons. You could tweak the stylized animals and make them clockwork animals.

(None of the clothing is mine, obviously! I just pulled the photographs off a quick Google search.)

[prettydark]

You might also add gears to a jingle dress.

As an Anicinabeikwe who has the right to wear the jingle dress, I'd have to recommend against this wholeheartedly.

OP, DO NOT DO THIS.

[painangrrfear]

Yikes! My apologies; had no idea there were restrictions to wearing the jingles.

[prettydark]

It depends on who you talk to, but the jingle dress is not just a pow-wow dance style. It is for healing, and there's a lot of responsibility that goes along with wearing it.

Thanks for being understanding, I really appreciate it.

[squirrelmadness]

One very interesting point is that certain Native American groups were very happy to adopt certain bits of Western technology (particularly firearms); although the Cherokee are noted for adopting certain sedentary Western practices as well, including a home-made alphabet, printing presses, and a tribal newspaper to go along with them).

A steampunk Native American would likely demonstrate this same dichotomy: traditional practices, social structures, etc, combined with pieces of Western (in this case steampunk) technology that would prove useful. Agricultural tribes would likely take advantage of steam powered tilling and planting machines, while retaining their traditional clothes and ideologies. Nomadic groups might engineer horse portable Gatling guns to help protect them from hostile settlers and American soldiers (raiding Army supply trains to resupply).

[i_coyolxauhqui]

this is what I was thinking of when I made this post! Thank you for the specific examples and your imput, it is HIGHLY appriciated