The Maidu and the Sierras

 

Clothing and Tattoos

Maidu clothing was similar to other Northern California tribes - deer skin loincloths and skirts, softened, pounded tree bark skirts, and fur robes. Some of the Maidu did practice a form of simple tattooing, not as elaborate as their neighbors further north and west.

How were tattoos made?

Note: we do NOT recommend trying this at home!

A sharp blade of obsidian was use to make an incision on the face, for example from the lower lip to the edge of the chin. These were made for the women in groups of three to seven. Then wild nutmeg charcoal was rubbed into the open wound. Other styles of tattoo were a vertical line from the bridge of the nose to the forehead for men. The pricking method allowed them to also create fields of spots or lines of spots on different parts of their bodies. The nutmeg would irritate the skin so that it could not heal properly and the resulting scar would become the tattoo, with a dark coloring.

· A safe tattoo project with adult supervision only

· Using washable eyebrow pencil, draw three vertical lines on the girls' chins from their lips down to their chins. Draw a vertical line from the bridge of the boys' noses up to their forehead, moving bangs aside if needed. Let them see themselves in the mirror. Now ask them to wear these tattoos for a few hours. After the few hours - possibly while they have contact with other students at school, ask them to record if they felt any different with the tattoo on? Did people treat the many differently with the tattoo on? And lastly, ask them why they think the Maidu tattooed themselves.