Improved Order of Red Men badge, Sanford, ca. 1900

Contributed by Maine Historical Society

Description

The Improved Order of Red Men (IORM) bills itself as the oldest fraternal organization in the United States, "descending" from the Revolutionary secret societies such as the Sons of St. Tammany and Sons of Liberty who dressed as Native people to conceal their identities as they dumped tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act in 1773.

White settler colonialists—American Revolutionaries—appropriated Native culture, going so far as to create a new and "improved Red Men" based upon their consumption of Native people—complete with Indian names, ceremonies, clothing, and symbols. Of course, this was only possible after the settler colonialists felt they had assimilated or eradicated Native people to a point where they could admire them. This badge came from the Sanford Sagamore Tribe, No. 33, of the Improved Order of Red Men.

View/Add Comments

Transcription

Item has a transcription View front and back of badge


About This Item

  • Title: Improved Order of Red Men badge, Sanford, ca. 1900
  • Creation Date: circa 1900
  • Subject Date: circa 1900
  • Location: Sanford, York County, ME
  • Media: Silk
  • Dimensions: 23 cm x 6 cm
  • Local Code: 1996.221.21
  • Object Type: Physical Object

Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

Other Keywords


For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society
485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website

The copyright and related rights status of this item have not been evaluated. Please contact the contributing repository for more information.

How to cite content on this site


Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.