"An investigation into the symbol of Native heritage."
In Ojibwe (or Chippewa in the United States) culture a dream
catcher is a hand-crafted willow hoop with woven netting that is
decorated with sacred and personal items such as feathers and
beads. The Native American tradition of making dream
catchers--hoops hung by the Ojibwe on their children's cradleboards
to "catch" bad dreams--is rich in history and tradition.
Although the exact genesis of this intriguing artifact is
unknown, legend has it that a medicine woman forms a circle from a
willow branch and, with sinew, borrows the pattern from a spider,
weaves a web, and hangs it over the bed of a sick child who
recovers by morning. In some versions dream catchers catch good
dreams and let bad ones through, while others catch bad dreams and
let good dreams through. This legend accompanies dream catchers
offered for sale across North America and beyond.
These themes, among others, are carried throughout this book
which explores the appropriation of dream catchers by Native
Americans of different nations, as well as the New Age movement.
Dream Catchers also discusses the blending of two religious
philosophies whereby Native and Christian icons are mixed.
More than 40 color photographs feature contemporary dream
catchers and artifacts with informative captions that identify and
comment on the different patterns, their significance and history.
Dream Catchers features the work of Native artist Nick Huard who
creates dream catchers in his studio in Kahnawake outside of
Montreal.
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