I can't. It is the equivalent of a formal evening dress for her. Even implying she shouldn't wear it,never mind complaining about her actually wearing it is positively anti-American. Her people were here long,LONG before Lizzy Warren's ancestors showed up.
@sneakypete Yeah, I get all that... I was saying that the bright colors, totems, and jangly bits of typical native ceremonial wear might look like it came from a tourist trap (as some have actually said, right here on this thread)... Because tourist trap Indian shows and Hollywood make-believe is what they know - NOT that they are right in that assumption. To back east city folks it looks tacky, and they don't know that mamma's stylin. I was more allowing for their ignorance than anything.
Maybe it's a Rockies/Northern Plains thing. Here, cowboys and indians often see eye to eye... Rodeos have indian games built right into them. you will have to go far to find a (dress) cowboy hat without feathers, turquoise, or silver on em and native looking hat bands are common. Heck, many buckles and bolos are native themed.
Hillbillies even more so. A lot of my leathers have had bead and quill-work... I have a quill throat guard... My mocs have often had beadwork, as have knife sheaths and possibles bags. My 30.30 was decorated by a Salish gal. It's what they do.
Go to a powwow or a rondy here and either one will be about half native and half hillbilly, everybody dressed in leathers, and many of the natives, especially the gals, wearing bright, full on native dresses similar to their ceremonial stuff, or at least some of it.
So me and you, and Joe too, are probably more accustomed to Native ways. It is natural to me, at least... I will stand to correct the ignorance about it, but I get where that ignorance comes from.
I dare anyone to take a look at her and try to claim she is a poser,or that she is not connected in any way to her ancestors history. This ain't some gomer "playing cowboys and Indians".
That's right... Far be it from me to defend what is probably a liberal Democrat, and I hate to be put in that position... But her heritage is not part of that.