Feathers, furs and fringes: A semiological analysis of powwow regalia

This thesis puts forward a semiological analysis of male and female dancing regalia worn during competitive summer powwows held in Ontario in 1987. Powwows, as Native cultural events, are considered here as modern and popular social gatherings that draw on past cultural practices to promote a contemporary Indian identity. Based on observations collected during fieldwork, my interpretation relies on a structuralist reading of differences and analogies observed in the composition of powwow regalia and in their distribution along categories of dancers.;In order to suggest an interpretation of some of the ornaments worn by contemporary dancers, I document the nineteenth century meanings of three components of dancing regalia in the cultural practices of Plains and Woodlands peoples, respectively feathers, furs and shells. I then confront each conclusion with the contemporary use of these ornaments in order to establish changes in their signification. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).