The Chickasaws: The Military Jacket and Other European Influences

Jeannie Barbour

The European military jackets, gorgets, and turbans worn by Chickasaw men were originally introduced to them in the 16th and 17th centuries by French explorers and later by English and American explorers. Jeannie Barbour, Creative Development Director of the Department of Chickasaw Nation Communications & Community Development, explains that these items reflect the tribe's ability to adapt European influences and incorporate them into the Chickasaw identity with their own cultural aesthetics and symbols.

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