Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses »

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian is dedicated to working in collaboration with the indigenous peoples of the Americas to foster and protect Native cultures throughout the Western Hemisphere. The museum's publishing program seeks to augment awareness of Native American beliefs and ways of life and to educate the public about the history and significance of Native cultures.

CÉcile R. Ganteaume, associate curator, joined the National Museum of the American Indian when it was established as part of the Smithsonian. Previously she was on the curatorial staff of the museum's forerunner institution, the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation, in New York. Her essays have appeared in many publications, including Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions, Creation's Journey: Native American Identity and Belief, and American Indian Art Magazine. Her research interests center on American Indian material culture, tribal histories, and Apache cultural studies.

This beautiful book presents a fascinating array of complete women's and girls' outfits dating from the 1830s to the present, including dresses, shawls, shoes, belts, bags, fans, and hair accessories. Also included is historical and contemporary background information on Native life and Native women and their dress. To accompany a major exhibit of the same name at the NMAI in March 2007.