Face Paint

Face Paint
The Cherokee word for paint is wodi. 
Red Paint – wodige’i wodi
Yellow Paint – dalonige’i wodi
Black Paint – gvnige’i wodi

Documentation does not just apply to Cherokee but to Woodland Native Americans.

Documentation for paint.
(James Adair, 1735 to 1770) …to paint on a warrior’s face; because it incites others to a spirit of martial benevolence for their country, and pleases his own fancy, and the eyes of spectators…
(Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 31) On occasion they dressed in outfits of primarily Europeon clothing, although they retained their hairstyles, paint, and tattooing.
(Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 40) Cherokee face paint was often applied in individual designs and was worn by men and women.
(Details from powder horn ca.1775) Her hair is pulled back and folded over in a bun and she has spots of red paint on their cheeks.
(Lt. Henry Timberlake) The Cherokees are of a middle statue, of an olive color, tho’ generally painted, and their skins stained with gunpowder, pricked into it in very pretty figures.
(Timberlake 2007, 132n166)…their faces are painted a copper colour, and their heads are adorned with shells, feathers, ear-rings, and other trifling ornaments.
Painted upper part of their foreheads and their cheeks with vermilion. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)
…but they paint only the cheek-bones, for the most part red. (By Duke De La Rouchefoucault Liancourt 1795, 1796 and 1797)
…make a round red spot upon each cheek, and redden their eyelids, the tops of their foreheads, and some the rim of their ears and temples. (By George Henry Loskiel 1794)
We have observed only two women who had painted a red line across their head, and some color on the cheeks. (By Paola Andreani 1790)
They sometimes put vermillion into the streak where the hair is parted and behind the ears….paint the whole face, when they are fully arrayed, reddish brown above and vermillion below. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)
To add a finishing touch, they paint their faces with red vermillion which they buy from Europeans. (By J.C.B., French Soldier between 1751 – 1761)
The women of every nation generally place a spot of paint, about the size of a crown-piece, against each ear; some of them put paint on their hair, and sometime a small spot in the middle of the forehead. (By J. Carver, Esq. 1766, 1767 and 1768)​
The women, like the men, paint their faces with red ochre… (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760-1776)
…women paint with Vermillion and other colours mixed with Bear’s Oil… (By Nicholas Cresswell 1774-1777)​
They sometimes put vermillion into the streak where the hair is parted, and behind the ears. (By Pierre Pouchot 1755 – 1760)
The skin is painted, or else ornamented with beads of various colours. (By Alexander Henry, Esq. 1760 and 1776)
Indian women never paint their faces with a variety of figured, but rather make a round red spot upon each cheek and redden the eyelids, the tops of their heads and, in some cases, the rims of the ears and the temples. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)
Their cheeks were painted red, but no other part of their face. (By Charles Johnston 1790)

Possible reasons for paint:
(James Adair, 1735 to 1770) …to paint on a warrior’s face; because it incites others to a spirit of martial benevolence for their country, and pleases his own fancy, and the eyes of spectators…
(Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 40) When the medicine man used this to paint people, they became what they wished for: a good hunter, a strong warrior, or someone attractive to the opposite sex.
(Sturtevant 1978, 85, 90) …I even saw a few women who had painted their faces with vermilion, using it artfully and pleasingly.
Before they come out to dance, they painted their faces red. The women as well as the men painted their faces red. (By Peter Kalm travels in 1750 and 1751.)
…women paint their faces almost daily, especially if they go out to a dance in the evening. (By David Zeisberger 1779 and 1780)
The women make use of vermilion in painting themselves for dance, but they are very careful…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)
All these things, together with the vermilion paint, judiciously laid on, so as to set her off in the highest style…(By Rev. John Heckewelder 1788)
(Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 41) Women wore paint in the part of their hair and in two spots on their cheeks to indicate that they were available.
Elders from various tribes say painting was used for spiritual reasons, societies and adornment.

How to Make and Wear Red Paint (Barbara R. Duncan, Cherokee Clothing – In the 1700s pg. 41)
Cautions – Do not use vermillion or cinnabar. They contain toxic metal mercury. Do not inhale the dust of red ochre. It will irritate the lungs.
Materials: 
Red Ochre – Can be obtained in powder form from art supply stores that provide pigments to paint. 
www.earthpigments.com
Bear Grease – This is traditional medium for body paint. It can be obtained from local hunters or by cooking a bear roast and rendering the fat. Refrigerate the roast and when it is cool, remove the fat from the top of the liquid that cooked out.
***Make sure to observe local game laws.***
Keep bear grease refrigerated. If it begins to smell bad, throw it away.
Sunflower or olive oil – Instead of bear grease, some use oil.
Instructions:
-Put a pinch of powdered red ochre in the palm of your hand or small bowl.
-Add about a teaspoon of bear grease or oil.
-Mix together.
-Apply to a test spot on your inner arm to see if you have any allergic reactions.
-If not, use a small paint brush to apply to body or face. (Be careful around the eye area.)
-Baby wipes or a damp cloth can easily remove the paint.