Almost all tribes at one time had warrior societies. In those societies, the men who belonged to them wore specifically related clothing items. Those items were only allowed to be worn when the men were dealing with warrior society meetings, dances, and rituals. As time progressed, certain items of clothing lost its religious connections to the warrior societies, and everyone in the tribe started to wear them. One such item that has grown through cultural changes is the hair roach. Worn by many men on the powwow circuit, the hair roach is not just worn by members of warrior societies any longer. It is now a pan-Indian clothing item that is worn by hundreds of men in the contemporary prairie powwow culture.

Early Warriors Used the Roaches for War

The hair roach has origins in the Eastern Woodland tribes hundreds of years ago during pre-European contact. The first roaches were small, approximately the span of a hand, and round in shape. These were attached to the warriors head by the braid of their scalp lock. A scalp lock was a circular patch of long hair at the crown of the warriors head, which was usually braided. The rest of the hair was shaved or plucked out. The early roaches were made from many different types of animal fur (deer, wolf, porcupine, turkey beards), depending on the want and honors earned by the warrior. If earned, a socket made of bone would be added to the roach, where a plume would be tied on to decorate in times of war. As tribes began to barter with each other, the way of the roach spread from the East to the Plains areas tribes, with only the warriors allowed to be adorned in the roaches.

William Penn was not only wise in keeping friendly relations with the local Native Americans but also in keeping the peace amongst newcomers and the Swedes and the Dutch who, from pre-Pennsylvania time, had claimed land there. He allowed them to keep the land they had already claimed even though they had staked out many choice riverfront lots.

A lot of writers struggle to get their ideas on paper. They feel the urge to complete a novel or long nonfiction, but can't seem to concentrate on it. The project calls to them when they're in the midst of work and kids and plans, but when they sit down to write, they can't escape the distractions. Through it all, the nagging little critic inside their head says, "Everybody knows you're a failure."

Have a ladies weekend in Hotlanta. Friends will have an unforgettable experience of sipping on martinis, munching on gourmet appetizers, getting pampered at a spa, and partying the night away in a nightclub in Atlanta, Ga.