MUNDURUCU
Sioux is a widely used name for related Dakota, Lakota and Nakota peoples of North America. Their communities have distinct names and histories, including different traditions of body decoration.
Historical accounts describe tattoos associated with honour or belief. One recorded story tells of an Owl Maker who examines the dead and recognises the appropriate markings. Such stories belonged to particular traditions, not to everyone described as Sioux.
Paint, feathers, beadwork and quillwork added other ways to shape appearance. Ceremonial clothing could involve rights earned through achievement, rather than being a costume anyone could simply put on.
Portraits of chiefs, women and dancers show the range of these styles. A garment might carry careful work by several hands before it was worn. Together, the pictures reveal a richer world than the familiar western-film image of a rider in a feathered headdress.