The dreamcatcher is a protective talisman that is used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. The meaning of dreamcatchers and the beliefs surrounding their construction originate from Native American cultures. While modern dreamcatchers come in various forms, authentic ones are generally only a few inches in size and are handmade from all natura l materials with a leather-wrapped frame. They typically have feathers and beads hanging from the hoop as well. They are made from a wooden hoop, usually willow, onto which a net or web is woven with natural fibers.

Share this page with a friend to help raise awareness of Native American culture.Dreamcatchers became widely popular during the 1980s and have become a very common crafts item, jewelry piece, and image on home decor items. 'In the center of the dreamcatcher are bone hair pipe beads and a feather, a fringed deerskin leather medicine pouch, and a large leather-wrapped bar turkey prayer feather.' 1 Enter to win this dreamcatcher before Midnight on June 29th. The hoop measures 12' in diameter and is wrapped in leather with prayer feathers on leather fringe. This particular Dreamcatcher is from Mission Del Rey and was made by a Pueblo Indian artist. 3 Some dreamcatchers have a feather in the center to symbolize breath or air. 3 Many dreamcatchers have 8 points where the web connects to the hoop in honor of Spider Woman. The dreamcatcher is a circle to represent the earth 2 and the Sun. What is the symbolism of the different parts? The good dreams come through the center hole, and some believe they glide down the feathers, descending on the infant or adult sleeping below. The web absorbs unwelcome dreams at night and releases them during the day. The shape of the circle represents how Grandfather Sun travels across the sky.' 3 When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, Spider Woman had a difficult time making journeys to all those baby cradleboards, so the mothers, sisters, and grandmothers weaved magical webs for the new babies using willow hoops and sinew. Long ago, in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one area called Turtle Island. 'Spider Woman took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so to this day.

2ĭreamcatchers can be traced back to the Ojibwe peoples and, over time, became introduced to and adopted by other tribes. They are traditionally suspended over cradles or sleeping areas to protect from bad dreams or spirits. They have a hole in the center of the web and can include feathers or beads. The History of Native American DreamcatchersĪ dreamcatcher is a handmade willow hoop with a web woven inside.

Where did the dream catcher originate