--- title: President Obama Dons Ceremonial Native American Hat description: President Barack Obama broke his own "no hats" rule on Monday when a leader from the Crow Nation placed a woven headpiece on top of his head canonical: https://time.com/4508759/president-obama-hat-blanket-tribal-conference/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-26T23:12:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T18:43:10.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Obama Dons Ceremonial Hat and Blanket at Tribal Nations Conference og:description: A leader from the Swinomish Tribe gifted him with a headpiece og:url: https://time.com/4508759/president-obama-hat-blanket-tribal-conference/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfef4ee91fb3b5cf7/6988a793cf40a82534c44f38/obama6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: US President Barack Obama attends the 2016 White House Tribal Nations Conference og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Obama Dons Ceremonial Hat and Blanket at Tribal Nations Conference twitter:description: A leader from the Swinomish Tribe gifted him with a headpiece twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfef4ee91fb3b5cf7/6988a793cf40a82534c44f38/obama6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Obama Dons Ceremonial Hat and Blanket at White House Tribal Nations Conference by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:43 PM UTCPublished: Sep 26, 2016 11:12 PM UTC  President Barack Obama receives a traditional blanket and hat during the 2016 White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington on Sept. 26, 2016. President Barack Obama receives a traditional blanket and hat during the 2016 White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington on Sept. 26, 2016.Aude Guerrucci—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:43 PM UTCPublished: Sep 26, 2016 11:12 PM UTC **Correction appended, Sept. 27** President Barack Obama broke his own “no hats” rule on Monday when a leader from the Swinomish Tribe placed a woven headpiece on top of his head. [Obama](http://time.com/4508249/president-obama-leonardo-dicaprio-discussion/) was taking part in the White House Tribal Nations Conference, where leaders honored the president with a song and a blanket they draped over his shoulders. Obama, who was adopted by the Crow Nation in 2008, took off the hat after a moment and handed it back to Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe and president of the National Congress of American Indians. He kept the blanket on for a little while longer. “What an amazing honor, and what a kind gesture for the honor song and the blanket and the hat,” Obama [said](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/26/coolidge-got-a-headdress-and-obama-got-a-hat/) while addressing the crowd. “I have to say I’m also very glad that you also have a blanket for Michelle so she doesn’t steal mine. She would, too. I’m just saying.” Obama called the gesture “moving,” and a “reminder of the great friendships that we’ve developed over the last eight years.” Generally, Obama does not wear hats in acknowledgment of an [unofficial rule](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/barack-obama-wears-hat-president-228693) that presidents should not wear headgear in public, according to Politico. “Here’s the general rule: You don’t put stuff on your head if you’re president,” he [said in 2013](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/barack-obama-wears-hat-president-228693) when the Navy Academy’s football team presented him with a helmet. “That’s Politics 101: You never look good wearing something on your head.” **Correction**: The original version of this story incorrectly identified Brian Cladoosby. He is Chairman of the Swinomish Tribe and president of the National Congress of American Indians. 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