Cheyenne Indians used natural materials for their crafts and art forms.
There are many crafts that are distinctly recognized as art forms of the Cheyenne Nation of North America. The Cheyenne tribe once occupied most of the Great Plains region of the modern United States until the government forced it to relocate to the Indian reservations of Oklahoma during the 1800s. Today, Cheyenne tribes are found in northern Montana and Oklahoma, and many of these Native Americans still create the traditional arts and crafts their ancestors made for centuries.
Bead Work
Bead work is an art form that has always been widely used and appreciated among the Cheyenne tribes of North America. It is still practiced among traditional artisans to this day. Originally, beads were carved from natural materials such as wood, animal bones or precious metals, and used as decoration for clothing items and accessories or as rattlers for instruments and toys. Glass beads became a popular favorite among the Cheyenne when they were introduced by European settlers about 500 years ago. Glass beads and fine seed beads are the primary materials used by modern artisans.
Quill Embroidery
Quill work among the Cheyenne is similar to that of other Plains tribes and the Native Americans of the East Coast. This ancient craft involves softening and dying porcupine quills and weaving them onto other materials, such as birch bark or leather animal hides, to create brilliantly decorated war shirts, birch bark boxes and baskets, moccasins and medicine bags. To Cheyenne women, quill work was viewed as a sacred task of striving for technical precision in the art form, and hopeful artisans had to be sponsored and complete an apprenticeship to join these tight-knit societies.
Pipe Carving
Like many other Plains tribes, the Cheyenne grew tobacco and carved fine wood pipes to smoke their abundant harvest. This art form was typically taken up by men, who also carved bows and arrows. Smoking tobacco out of what became known as "peace pipes" became a sacred ritual where participants offered prayers before their first smoke with religious importance years before European settlers arrived. The pipe carvers of Cheyenne and other Plains tribes took time and care into crafting each piece, which was assembled by attaching a bowl carved from catlinite, or "pipestone," to a long wooden stem.
Related posts
Teach children to relive Native American culture through their creativity during arts and crafts projects. Before European colonization, Native American tribes relied on canoeing and horseback rid...
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the Aztec Empire spread from Mexico to Honduras. The Aztecs had a vibrant culture, with many forms of art and crafts. Often the difference between arts and...
The culture of Native American tribes is rich and varied and you can learn to appreciate and understand this diversity through easy Native American Indian crafts. Making dream catchers, beading an...
Paint SetArts and crafts projects can be a relaxing hobby or a great way for families to spend time together. Arts and crafts projects make great decorative items for around the house, gift ideas...
Chinese New Year is a vibrant celebration with colorful decorations.While most of the world celebrates the new year on the first day of January, Chinese New Year is an annual event that takes plac...
