A dush-toh, also spelled dush-too, dush-tooh, or dush-tuh, is a traditional Caddo

Caddo

The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...

 hair ornament worn by girls and women during dances, particularly the Turkey Dance

Turkey dance

The turkey dance is one of the most important traditional dances among Caddo people. Women dance the turkey dance, while men drum and sing the songs, which describe events in Caddo history....

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A dush-toh consists of an embellished, butterfly- or hourglass-shaped frame that is worn on the back of the head with ribbons that flow down the back, almost to the ground. They were made in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as into the present.

Frame

The top of butterfly-shaped frame is typically 4.25 inches wide and the bottom is usually 4-5/8 inches wide. The frame is 7.5 inches tall. The frame can be covered in black felt and edged with colored ribbons on both sides. Further embellishments include white seed bead

Seed bead

Seed beads are uniformly shaped, spheroidal beads ranging in size from under a millimeter to several millimeters. "Seed bead" is a generic term for any small bead. Usually rounded in shape, seed beads are most commonly used for loom and off-loom bead weaving. They may be used for simple...

s sewn along the edges and silver studs placed according to the individual's preference. A silver band runs around the narrowest point of the frame, which is tied to the hair. A wooden hairpin can also be used to hold the dush-toh in place. German silver spots can be attached to the frame and beaded rosettes may be used to decorate the center of the frame.

Ribbons

The ribbons, usually of watered silk, are attached to the bottom of the headpiece. Four layers of ribbons are typically sewn to one ribbon band, which is sewn to the felt on the frame. Ribbons can be solid colors or plaid. They run down the back to the hemline of the dancer's dress. Bells, or cai'-coo-tze, can be sewn to the bottom for weight and a musical sound. Ribbons can be embellished with shell, mirrors, German silver medallions, or beadwork rosettes.

Classes

The Caddo Nation offers classes in making dush-tohs to Caddo youth during their annual summer camp.

External links

• Image of Caddo women wearing dush-tohs, Encyclopedia of Arkansas
• Dush-toh from 1900, National Museum of the American Indian