Turbans – Troy Wayne Poteete

Cherokee Turbans - Then & Now

The Historic Hat of the Cherokee, Updated and Designed for Today.

Conceived by former Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilman Troy Wayne Poteete and designed by his wife Elizabeth, the “Wrapping Hat”, called “ahls du lo” in the Cherokee language is now available for individuals who want to honor the generation of Sequoyah.

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Ahls Du Lo: A Symbol of Tribal Adaptability

The turban of today symbolizes the Cherokee trait of adapting while remaining the same; that Cherokee national habit of absorbing current improvements, yet retaining the distinct cultural identity that was so precious to our ancestors.

The turban calls up memories of Cherokees who, in one generation during the time of Sequoyah, transformed an illiterate affiliations of villages, connected by clan and language, into a nation-state with a strong central government and a higher standard of living and a higher literacy rate than any of the surrounding states.

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History of the Cherokee Turban

Turbans were first introduced to the Cherokees by King George’s ministers, who deemed the appearance of Mankiller, Stalking Turkey, Little Carpenter, and other chiefs who made the trip to England much too severe to be looked upon by their King. The King’s ministers changed the Cherokee visitors into garments which had been left behind by a delegation from India. The Cherokee chiefs returned to the Cherokee Nation with the garments, which included the turbans. These turbans and jackets became highly treasured items, worn for special occasions.

At first, Cherokees made additional turbans from expensive imported cloths, but with the introduction of the spinning wheel by George Washington, the Cherokees began making their own cloth, from which the Cherokee men fashioned headwear styled like the exotic (and by now deteriorating) turbans worn at Council by the aged chiefs who had “crossed the water.”

This is the history of the “Cherokee” turban, there are many other tribes who have their own adaptations of the turban which fulfilled practical needs of that time period as well as being status symbols among tribal people.