Although many Americans are not of Native American descent, it’s hard to deny the beauty that is reflected in Native American crafts.
Many traditional native american crafts have been handed down to younger people by their ancestors. This helps to keep the culture of a particulaar Native American tribe alive.
Making your own Native American crafts is fun. Here you will find a variety of Native American crafts, as well as instructions on how to create your own designs. This is the perfect project for young children, or anyone who is fascinated with Native American culture and tradition.
We also present the traditional meanings and purposes for native crafts through tribal legends and personal antedote.
One look at the elaborate turquoise bracelets, engraved silver belt buckles and ornate squash blossom necklaces featured in “Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family,” and it’s clear that by bypassing accounting, Mr. Yazzie is giving the Navajo nation a much richer gift. The exhibition until early 2016 shows about 330 pieces of jewelry made by 15 members of the Yazzie family, with a focus on work by Lee and his younger brother Raymond.
| |
| Deer Jaw Talking Stick |
Talking sticks were used in tribal councils and public meetings to maintain order. Whoever had the stick had the floor, and no one else was allowed to speak until the speaker passed the stick, indicating he had finished what he wanted to stay.
QUESTION: Native american indian jewelry is so beautiful. How long have indian tribes been making jewelry? What are the meanings of turquoise and the squash blossom necklace? How can I tell what tribe a piece of sterling silver jewelry is from? –Submitted by Ardith R.
The most popular jewelry styles from the Southwest are made by the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Santo Domingo tribes. While individual artists may make jewelry in a style usually associated with a particular tribe that may not be their own, these are the general, most common differences in the jewelry styles created by these Southwest tribes.
Indian fetishes are Southwest tribal miniature carvings that some say are imbued with spirit forces.Fetishes are hand-carved objects, which represent the spirits of animals or the forces of nature. From the earliest times in North America, the Indians have used fetishes in an effort to master the arbitrary and unpredictable forces beyond their control. The earliest fetishes are called Ahlashiwe or stone ancients by the Zunis. They were naturally formed stones that seemed to resemble people or animals, sometimes made more realistic with the features accentuated by a carver.
Turquoise, the "fallen skystone", "gem of the centuries", is indigenous to the Americas, Egypt, ancient
Persia (Iran), Tibet and China. Throughout human history, the turquoise stone has been revered and admired for its beauty and reputed spiritual life-enhancing qualities. Native American Turquoise Jewelry is still extremely popular today.