Clothing of the Nineteenth-Century Creek Prophet, Heles Haco (Josiah Francis), at the British Museum.

This article focuses on the early nineteenth-century clothing of Heles Haco (also known as Josiah Francis), a Muscogee Creek (Mvskoke) prophet and leader of the Redstick faction during a period of civil war and cultural upheaval. The British Museum holds a rare collection of his clothing, including a brain-tanned deerskin coat, leggings, moccasins, and finger-woven wool textiles such as a waist sash, garters, and a bandolier bag, which illustrate the blending of Indigenous techniques with European materials. Heles Haco’s self-portrait, also in the collection, uniquely depicts him wearing a combination of traditional Mvskoke and British military attire, reflecting his role as a diplomatic ambassador during his 1815–1816 mission to London. The article highlights how Mvskoke clothing functioned as a powerful symbol of social and political identity, demonstrating Indigenous agency in maintaining cultural practices amid colonial pressures.