Saturday, August 14, 2010

Native American Indian Crafts

Native American Indian Crafts

Annlee Cakes Native American Regalia and Crafts shares about Native Traditions and Culture as applied to Native Indian Styled Crafts.

Native Americans have been crafting for centuries and beyond. Basically all their clothes were also crafted from hides. For summer wear most hides were scrapped clean of fur, and for winter they kept the fur on but reversed the wearing so the fur was against the body to keep heat in.

Crafting was natural to the Native Indians. Women crafted designs and made utensils from the horns and bones of animals the Warriors brought to the meals. Warriors crafted with leather, sinew and feathers and even with stones or hair braided into useful things. All decorations were a craft.

When new items became available the Natives crafted with them. Examples are: Metals, beads of wood, beads of horns, glass beads brought by traders.

Today, we all can see the wonders of Native American Indian Crafts by attending the fantastic PowWows held all over the United States. Seeing the time people have spent to create their Dancing Regalia is marvelous when you come to understand it was not done overnight. Some have spent years to build their Circle Items.

Moreover, at the Pow Wow you will see many venders displaying crafted items for sale. I do not know of even one Powwow without venders showing off their wares like the traders of old. But, with tents and displays!

The list of crafted items is endless: From bows and arrows to eating utensils. Encompassing decorating one's horse to decorating one's Teepee. Making knives, clubs and even flutes or pipes is all Native American Indian Crafts. Many women crafted foot wear and clothes. Pots made from clay have been discoved for centuries.

Today, crafted items include earrings, jewelry, rattles, Head Wear, Colorful and gorgeous Dance Regalia and even fancy dance shawls. Like I said the list is truly endless.

The most beautiful hand crafted items came after the introduction of beads, and especially colored beads. However, long before glass beads appeared?

Originally, Native American Indians crafted beads that were carved from natural materials like shells,coral,turquoise and stones or the metals like copper, silver, wood, amber, ivory, and animal bones, horns, and some were discovered made from teeth. Glass beads were not used until the fur traders brought to the Natives in trade for furs. Glass beads quickly became part of American Indian Crafts culture. Today glass beads, particularly fine seed beads, are the primary materials for traditional beaders of many tribes and adorn the finest of Regalia you may view in the Circle.

I hope you enjoyed! Mugwa...Annlee

Annlee Cakes 

Native American Style Regalia, Dance,Earrings,Jewelry,Crafts,Art,and more