Porcupine Roach
I looked up roach on the various search engines and all I got was Papa Roach, Roach clothing, and cockroaches. Not a peep about porcupine hair roaches not even on Wikipedia. That’s awful.
Here’s the history of the porcupine roach which is a Native American headdress made out of porcupine guard hair and deer hair. Sometimes roaches are made out of skunk hair (instead of deer hair) and I’ve heard the very early ones were made out of turkey beard hair.
Porcupine roaches are what essentially every modern Native American pow wow dancer wears on their head, except for the women and not all Southern Straight dancers (who wear a hat made out of otter fur).
Most roaches are between 15″ and 24″ long, mine is 24″. It’s broken down like this, an inside layer of deer hair, a main row of porcupine hair, another row of porcupine hair in the front, and then a layer of deer hair on the outside. Traditional deer hair colors are red all around or white all around but modern roaches have some bits of color on them.
Roaches cost about $300-$500 or $75+ for a roach kit. I’ve made two roaches, one I still have and one that was 15″ that I sold a long time ago. They take forever to make. The hardest part is sorting the hair. You have to sort the hair in .5″ groupings from 5″ all the way to 11″ - that by itself could take you a week to do. Probably takes a month to build out a roach.
To put on a roach the right way, you have to have long hair. You take a braid of your hair, put it through the hole in the roach, and secure the roach down with your hair and a roach pin. I’m talking about a different roach pin…I don’t have long hair so I use leather laces.
The finishing touch to the roach is a couple of eagle feathers secured via a spreader. The spreader is supposed to spread the roach hairs so that it fans out and looks cool, versus sticking straight up and looking not so cool.
So that’s a porcupine roach.
Thank you for the information it is good to see more info out there. I myself have a hard time finding things.
Comment by Dawn Johnston — July 25, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
Hi,
I am having a problem, my mother-in-law, has been trying to make a roach from her grandson, and the instructions and pictures dont help. All she needs is someone to show her how to do it, then she can finish it on her own. If there is anyway you could help us. I know their video’s out there, but they are like 25+. You help is appreciated.
Amber
Comment by Amber — April 9, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
Well, where are you located? Putting a roach together isn’t easy, there’s a reason why they cost $500 - $1000. My roach isn’t great, though the one I have now is my 3rd roach I’ve made and I think it’s ok. I haven’t built a roach in years though.
Probably best to buy one from a roach maker. Talk to someone directly, don’t go through a store.
Send me an email if you want to talk about it some more.
Comment by rebron — April 9, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
I’ve been making roaches since I was a kid. The reason why roach instructions aren’t that good to follow is because they were designed from a white man involved with scouts. Don’t get me wrong because I’m a mixed blood, but nothing beats oral one on one traditions. It usually only takes me 3-8 hrs to make a roach and that’s even for a 22 inch inside/outside. I will be listing a lot of roaches coming up if any one wants one. But I’m fluent in over 3,000 types of crafts. So, I like to make a variety of regalia items.
Comment by Wesly Two Eagles — April 29, 2007 @ 11:34 am
cool roach can anyone point in the direction for a roach kit? e mail me at danielgreen_304@yahoo.com
Comment by daniel green — July 6, 2007 @ 6:08 pm
Crazy Crow has some good roach kits. Wesly TwoEagles, Come on bro’, 3-8 hrs? Anyhow, later, from the true Plateau region and home of the Pendleton Blanket—Umatilla Rez, Pendleton OR.
Comment by Cliff — July 30, 2007 @ 8:41 am
I am a single mom with 2 boys and I’ve been trying to help my boys keep up their traditional dance - both boys need a roach headdress - and we are willing to learn how to make them - but we need some direction - please help - thank you
Comment by cassandra — July 31, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
They’re not easy to make. Crazy Crow has kits that are pretty good, as Cliff mentioned. They take a long time to make. I’m no means a roach maker, and this is my third roach above (I sold my first two).
I would try and buy them if you can afford it.
Comment by rebron — July 31, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
Hello i just came across this site.. i too have been making them aLL my life and i can tell you its hard and a long process if done right.. it takes me about hmm at the very least 20 to 30 straight hours to make one.. about 20 inches long.. the old package kits give the crapy hair so.. hers a few tips.. porkies breed in the night of fall where i live.. if you go out at night you can always catch them on the roads or feilds.. push their heads down and pluck what ya need.. get whitetails from hide drop boxes in the winter.. freeze em till you need em.. and use hot water die.. the cold swater stuff suks.. it comes off easy. as for the actual technique of it all. well its a trial and earror thing.. but use synthtic sinue for the thread.. and the lil cotton stuff for the middle. contact me if ya need more help.
Comment by Chadwick — August 9, 2007 @ 9:40 am
oh yeah.. heres my email chadpasap74 hotmail.com
Comment by Chadwick — August 9, 2007 @ 9:42 am
I need to know how to secure the roach feathers into the spreader. I have a metal spreader with two places for feathers which have thin flat rods coming up. I figure you put the shaft of the feathers down over the thin flat rods, but is that secure enough to hold them in place for a Straight dancer, especially after several dances?
Comment by Ron — September 12, 2007 @ 8:51 am
good info, I’m getting my supplies together to make my first roach this winter. I’ll start gathering porky hair and deer tails in Oct. Hopefully I’ll have enough by December and I’ll see how it goes. I dance with a small roach that was gifted to me a few years back. I’m making a Traditional Bustle and I want a larger roach to go with it.
Comment by Dancing Crow — September 24, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
I remember the first time I tied deer hair it took me all night to tie 8″ I was not going to bed until my tying looked like my husbands (who had been tying hair since he was 16 and even then it took him 2 years to finish his first roach)I thought it look oK for a first timer but far from my husbands. I am not a person who you can say “can’t be done” I struggled through that first string, but I had the time we were expecting our first child and wasn’t working. Our oldest is 17.5 and I am still tying. If my husband and I have an order we have a race he will tie the porky hair and I the deer hair. Guess who wins?…..he does! I am usually busy with getting dinner on or helping the children with something but this has only made me faster…..I can tie a 39″ string of single color deer haird in 2.5 hours or if it has many colors it will take me 3.0 hours. If I am tying porky hair it will take me 3 to 4 hours for the 39″ sting due to breaks and the different hair lengths. I have yet to master or even attempt to sew them together. My husband is the expert at that one.
Comment by Jonie — January 1, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
If any one wants one my man takes orders
Comment by Bernadette — February 11, 2008 @ 10:15 am
My e-mail is laurie99oskie@yahoo.ca
Comment by Bernadette — February 23, 2008 @ 11:11 pm
BEWARE OF WESLY TWO EAGLES, HE IS A FRAUD, HE CLAIMS TO BE A REGISTERED CHEROKEE, BUT HE HAS NO INTEGRITY. HE SOLD A ROACH TO A YOUNG MAN ON EBAY FOR $207 BUT NEVER DELIVERED THE ROACH THAT HE TOOK THE MONEY FOR. HE PROMISED THE YOUNG MAN’S MOTHER, ELIZABETH WHITE DOVE LOPEZ, THAT HE WOULD SEND THE ROACH, BUT IT HAS NEVER COME. HE NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING, EITHER SEND THE ROACH OR THE MONEY. I WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE HIM UNTIL HE DOES. I WILL CONTACT EVERY POWWOW, EVERY TRIBE EVERY ORGASNIZATION I CAN TO WARN THEM OF HIS DISRECPECTFUL AND DISHONEST BEHAVIOR.
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle — August 3, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
I unfortunately am another victim of Wesly Two Eagles. My son worked hard to purchase a roach. We paid the 220.00 for a rainbow roach and have yet to recieve it. We have tried many times to contact him and he promised to deliver. but we have yet to get anything. the good thing is that this person that takes money and does not deliver closed his website. He is however advertizing via My Space. So as the statement before mine says buyer beware of Wesly Two Eagles.
Comment by Diana Kingsbury — August 7, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
If anyone knows how to get in contact with this phony thief, Wesly Two Eagles Wright, please let me know. This person claims to be a Cherokee and Apache, he is dishonest, has no integrity or honor. He is ripping people off and needs to be stopped. He claims to be a traditional dancer, if he shows up at any events he needs to be run off. He is nothing but a fraud. He will not return emails, his phone has been disconnected, but he is still trying to “sell” items.Please help stop this disgrace. I wounder what his Uncle, who he claims to have lived on a reservation with, would think of how he is stealing and lying? If I don’t hear from Wesly soon I will be calling his Uncle & BYU-Idaho, where he claims to be a student.
Marty Soaring Eagle Martin
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle Martin — August 9, 2008 @ 5:15 am
I have a current address for Wesly Two Eagles Wright. I sent a certified letter and his address was posted by Beth Wright on the return letter. If anyone would like it let me know I would be happy to send it. It seems we are all having the same issues with this person. If you hear from him please let me know as well. Thanks, Diana
Comment by Diana Kingsbury — August 9, 2008 @ 12:08 pm
My email address is Dkingsbury@aol.com
Comment by Diana Kingsbury — August 9, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
Yes, Diana I definitely want Wesly’s address. I have been posting evry where I can to try to get the snake to come out of his hole and act like a man. Evidently he is not only a liar and a thief but he is also a coward. He is really sitting a great example for his children.
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle Martin — August 13, 2008 @ 7:26 am
Diana,
My email is martysoaringegle@aol.com
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle Martin — August 13, 2008 @ 7:28 am
I HAVE SENT A LETTER TO THE THIEF’S WIFE IN HOPES THAT SHE CAN GET HIM TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND SEND BACK THE MONEY HE HAS STOLEN. I HAVE ALSO EMAILED THE PRESIDENT OF BYU-IDAHO TO INFORM HIM OF THE UNEWTHICAL PRACTICES OF THIS LOW LIFE. I SHALL NOT REST UNTIL HE ACTS LIKE A MAN AND RETURNS ALL THE MONEY.
Marty Soaring Eagle
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle Martin — August 16, 2008 @ 5:30 am
hi,I have been makeing roachs for over 20 yrs,yes it is not easy to make,I have got it down to 5 hours for 22″ roach.but my first roach took me 1 mouth half,my oldest son was only 3 yrs old,he is now 24.my youngest son is 21,he helps me with roachs.together we can build 4 to 6 roachs in a week.I came across this site looking for porcupine guard hair,so if anyone knows of anyone selling,please contack me at yazzieroach@yahoo.com I also build for people,if thay there own hair I only charge for laber.
Comment by stanson yazzie — August 21, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Well, I am happy to say Mr Wright has contacted White Dove, the mother of the young man that he sold a roach to on Ebay, and has promised, once again to ship the roach. If it comes, and is worth the money that it cost, I will gladly inform everyone and see if I can have my posts removed. I hope that he will also contact the other person who stated that they too were owed a roach.
Comment by Marty Soaring Eagle Martin — August 22, 2008 @ 1:52 am