American Indian Mitten & Gloves

American Indians mitten & gloves. There are few references for American Indian mittens before the 1800's. However, a few early historic sources indicate that in extreme the climates it was necessary to protect hands and arms against the cold. During the winters, mittens or gloves were worn by American Indians for fortification against the weather. In 1672, John Josselyn (1972) mentions the hide of the Soile (seal) or Sea Calf,

As there is scant evidence that mittens and gloves were commonplace, it is likely that men and women kept their hands tucked into their clothing, perhaps covered up by arm protectors which have been mentioned in other early historic documents from the northeast.

Some furs, especially that of wild cat (perhaps bobcat, puma or eastern mountain lion) were worn as arm guards to protect against wind and cold, while traveling or hunting. In 1634, William Wood (1865) observed that in winter American Indians men wore these cat-fur arm protectors

In 1524 Verrazzano saw women wearing embroidered deer skin mantles, while some women also wore "rich lynx skins on their arms" (in Wroth 1970). In 1622 Mourt (in Heath 1986), noted that only the American Indians leader of a group of men had a fur arm guard: "they had every man a deer's skin on him and the principal of them had a wild cat's skin, or such like on the one arm", which may reflect the man's unique status.

There are many references to and examples of mittens and gloves made by American Indians during the 1800's, a tradition which is continued today with several styles of 'chopper mittens' (Schneider 1972), as well as gauntlet gloves which were popularized in the 1800's by the U.S. calvery.