Chiefs' Look Is Carefully Crafted
Published: Oct 26, 2007
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TAMPA - The feathers were, according to the Chamberlain High Chiefettes, "stained," and "sweaty," and "stinky," and "moldy."
"I didn't want them anywhere near my head," said Chiefette Katie Braman, holding her nose. "They were blech."
"Of course they were," Chiefettes advisor Stacy Wrenn said. "We found a receipt in a drawer from when we bought the old [Chamberlain headdresses] and it said, I swear, 1985."
The receipt, by the way, was found in 2005.
That's when Wrenn and Chiefettes parents went to the Wagon Wheel Flea Market and found Red Eagle, a 59-year-old Native American Indian from the Lakota Sioux tribe, and that's when Red Eagle's hands went to work on hundreds of white turkey feathers (yes there are white turkeys) and thousands of beads.
A few months later, 35 Chiefette color guard members, dancers and drum majors had 30 white feathers and 2,500 beads in each of their headdresses. In four floor-length versions, there were 90 feathers and 3,500 beads.
Red Eagle, whose great grandfather fought at Little Big Horn and was killed in the massacre at Wounded Knee, said it made him as happy as could be. No, he saw no problem with helping a high school whose mascot is the Chiefs. "I see it as an honor," he said.
Although, there were minor concessions: Chamberlain's colors include green, but Red Eagle avoided green in the headdresses, because "green is bad luck," he said. He also required a rundown on headdress care: Store headdresses in a white plastic bag (to help keep feathers white), then place the white bag inside a black bag with moth balls, because "Moths love to eat feathers." Sometimes, he said, rub turkey fat on the feathers for preservation.
"Perhaps," Wrenn said, "I'll use the turkey-fat cleaning as a disciplinary measure."
Probably no need to. The headdresses are such a hit that the Chiefettes are buying them for their own (at a half-price of around $75, because Chamberlain purchased them in bulk).
"Look at it," said Braman, holding it up. "It's beautiful. It's something I'll cherish forever."
