Leggings
sit’imhlaamiskw
“leggings”
Language:
Nisga’a
Then he opened the bundle and took the leggings by themselves, saying, “Now, leggings, let a flash of lightning proceed from you!”
—From the story “Burning Leggings and Burning Snowshoes,” told by Henry W. Tate, “Tsimshian Mythology,” 1916
These Nisga’a dance leggings are pieces of a geometric Raven’s Tail blanket, woven from dyed mountain goat wool and shredded cedar bark. They represent a style of rich, elaborate clothing that high-ranking people wore during ceremonies. In the Tsimshian traditional story of Burning Leggings, a supernatural being appears in a flash of lightning that shoots out from his leggings, moccasins, and snowshoes, accompanied by thunder.
Culture:
Tsimshian
Region:
Nass River, British Columbia, Canada
Village:
Kitladamax
Object Category:
Clothing
Dimensions:
Length 32cm
Accession Date:
1907
Source:
George T. Emmons (collector)
Museum:
National Museum of the American Indian
Museum ID Number:
014177.000
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