Gwich´in live in a subarctic environment that extends from Alaska through the northern Yukon to the lower Mackenzie River in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Traditionally, Gwich´in wore a distinctive multipiece ensemble consisting of a long fringed tunic with a pointed bottom edge, moccasin-trousers, and often a matching hood, gloves and knife sheath, all made of finely tanned, soft, thin white caribou hide decorated with porcupine quill and/or glass beads. The ensemble shown here is decorated exclusively with glass beads. Incorporated into items of personal adornment after European contact, glass beads were regarded as symbols of wealth and prestige.

Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian
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The National Museum of the American Indian  |  George Gustav Heye Center  |  New York, NY

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