Just depends on the tribe really and I'm going by memory here. Most are shift style dresses but they have definite differences. An Acoma girl wore a dress similiar to the one that Miss Cody (which is more pueblo) is wearing but with alot more white in it. I believe it was cotton. The girlfriend of one of my relatives is Hopi and she wore the traditional Hopi dress on Christmas (she had participated in a ceremony before the family party). I seem to recall that it was a shift dress as well and I am pretty sure that it was leather as opposed to woven wool or cotton. The zuni dress is also little different, being off of one shoulder from what I remember. There's probably alot more differences that I just haven't noted yet but these are the most obvious differences that I note. Usually, I've got 2 kids in two wherever we are, lol. Several have their more "recent" versions as well with longer, fuller skirts and just alot more coverage in general. I know the Navajo versions the best for obvious reasons.

Now, if you really want major diversity, then the costumes of the various tribal dancers are something else. My favorite dancer costume is a close tie between the Hopi Eagle Dancers and the Zuni girl's dresses with their layers of long silver bells. My husband's favorite dancer costume is Aztec. They came to the Gallup, NM parade last year and wow, it was glitzy.

I did notice something after looking over my pictures of the last few years. I really need to start taking more pictures of participants in parades, powwows and so on. 90% of my photos at these kind of events are of my kids. When the powwows and other events start this summer, I'll be sure to make pictures of the event (and not so many of my kids! lol).

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson