In the harsh winter months of the north west, water sources freeze solid. Most of us would consider it impossible to fish in this harsh environment. The Intuit never let this “complication” hinder them. They still had to provide food for their families. The doll featured here shows an Inuit […]
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The Seminole people reside in the Everglades of southern Florida. In the late 1800’s the women began making dolls out of the palmetto for the tribe’s children. The fibers of the palmetto were used for the majority of the doll’s construction. Later, cotton was used to stuff the doll’s fiber […]
In a previous post we shared information on adult made Inuit dolls. It is obvious from the details that this marvelous figure was made for the tourist trade. Some dolls were featured with exquisite details portraying every day life. For example, this doll hows a small mammal, probably a beaver, […]
This small, elegant basket is made by the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Commonly referred to as Nootka, the Nuu-chah-nulth reside on the westcoast of Vancouver Island. While they are primarily for their woodworking, cedar canoes, and large multifamily housing; they also produce very fine basket work. In the 1860’s, the Nuu-chah-nulth started […]
Have you ever wondered what the Native people use for drinking vessels?? The Hopi tribe crafted cups just like we use in today’s world. Many of the cups today are out of plastic, glass, and molded ceramic. Hopi dishes, however, are all hand-crafted out of clay they have dug from […]
Native crafts may not always appear as one may imagine. This unique pouch is just one example of an item made for the tourist trade. Originating in the Great Lakes Region, the pouch is comprised of six individual panels of leather. Fine beadwork helps hide the seams and adorns the […]
In the southeastern states, the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) provided a wonderful basket-making material. Unlike other pine trees, the longleaf’s needle-like leaves can average 5 to 8 inches in length and can grow as long as 16 inches! The needles, which are naturally flexible and supple, are collected and boiled […]
One of the most easily recognized beads used in native crafts is the hairpipe shown here. The oldest known beads of this style were made from shell and can date as far back as 4,000 yeas ago! Hairpipes have been made from a variety of materials including bone, horn, silver, […]
In a previous post, we shared information on Inuit dolls made by young girls. But not all dolls were made by children. Adults often made dolls designed for the tourist trade. While the children’s work lacked a lot of artistic detail, the dolls made by adults for sale to the […]
The museum events have changed over the past few years. Our event for 2013 was the Sharing Circle, where we invited our guests to talk about their experience with their heritage.
Not all Kachinas are serious; there is a group of Kachinas known as Sacred Clowns. Each Kachina has a purpose in the dances, and the clowns often act out in either eccentric, comical, or negative ways in between dances. Through these actions, the Sacred Clowns provide lessons on improper behavior […]
Not all beads used by natives were symmetrical or perfectly formed. For example, animal teeth were often used to create art or adorn regalia. Early tooth beads had a hole drilled through them to allow a string or sinew to pass through. Later, after some of the tribes became proficient […]