Hair pipe facts for kids
A Hair pipe is a special kind of long bead, usually more than 1.5 inches (about 4 cm) long. These unique beads are very popular with American Indian people, especially those from the Great Plains and Northwest Plateau regions.
What is a Hair Pipe?
Hair pipes are often made from bone, but they can also be made from other materials like shell, horn, or even copper. They get their name because they are long and hollow, like a pipe. These beads are used to create beautiful and important pieces of clothing and jewelry, known as regalia.
A Look Back: How Hair Pipes Started
In 1878, a trader named Joseph H. Sherburne worked with the Ponca people. The Ponca bought many corn cob pipes from him. However, they didn't smoke them! Instead, they used only the long stems of the pipes as beads for necklaces.
A leader named White Eagle showed Sherburne a necklace made from these pipe stems. He asked if Sherburne could order these long, tubular beads in large amounts. Sherburne then contacted a company in New York, S. A. Frost, to make bone beads that looked like the pipe stems. Within a year, Sherburne had plenty of these new "hair pipe" beads. He sold them to the Ponca and other Native American traders, and they quickly became very popular.
Hair Pipes Today: Powwows and Regalia
Hair pipe beads were extremely popular from about 1880 to 1910. Even today, you can still see them often in powwow regalia. Powwows are special gatherings where Native American people celebrate their culture through dancing, singing, and wearing traditional clothing.
These long beads are used in many different types of regalia worn by both women and men. You might see them in:
- Chokers: Necklaces that fit closely around the neck.
- Breastplates: Large, decorative pieces worn on the chest. They can be very long and impressive.
- Earrings: Hanging from the ears.
- Necklaces: Longer pieces worn around the neck.
Hair pipe regalia is not just beautiful; it also connects people to their history and traditions.
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Blackfoot bone hair pipe breastplate, Woolaroc, Oklahoma, 1885
