DreamCatcher The Culture, Myths and Legends
CONTENTS
History
Culture
How It's Made About Me
HISTORY
The origins of the dreamcatcher are quite unclear, mostly due to the loss of much Native American history during European contact, colonization, and forced relocations. It is no surprise that the persecution of the Native Americans had such a detrimental impact on their history. Yet, legends surrounding the dreamcatcher exist in nearly all tribes across North America, and most of those legends revolve around similar themes: Spirits, spiders, and most prominently, dreams. Yet, legends surrounding the dreamcatcher exist in nearly all tribes across North America, and most of those legends revolve around similar themes: Spirits, spiders, and most prominently, dreams.Traditionally, the Ojibwa construct dreamcatchers by tying sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame of willow (in a way roughly similar to their method for making snowshoe webbing). In fact, red willow, common in many parts of the United States, was originally used, along with red twig dogwood and other members of the willow family.
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The original dreamcatchers originated with the Ojibwe people. Their legend states that Asibikaashi, a spider woman, protected the people, especially the young. As the tribe spread to different regions, it was difficult for her to reach all the children, so the mothers and grandmothers wove magical webs using willow hoops and sinew. These webs were hung over the heads of children and babies as they slept. It was believed that these magical webs would make it easier for Asibikaashi to protect the children. The dreamcatchers would also filter out bad dreams, catching them in the web, allowing only the good thoughts and ideas to descend down the feather strands to the mind of the dreamer. When the sun rose, all negativity trapped in the web would be burned away in the light of day.
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CULTURE
Dreamcatchers are quite prolific, finding real authentic dreamcatchers are not easy.
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Real handmade dream catchers are mostly found in The United States. Many dreamcatchers for sale today are much more American than Native American, often oversized and made of cheap plastic materials.
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Many Native Americans still consider the dreamcatcher to be a symbol of unity and identification among the many Indian Nations and First Nations cultures. Still, many other Native Americans have come to see dream catchers as an symbol of cultural appropriation, overcommercialized and offensively misappropriated and misused by non-Natives.
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Ojibwe dreamcatchers started to become popular in other Native American tribes during the panNative American movement of the 1960s and 1970s, even becoming popular in such disparate places as those of the Cherokee, Lakota, and Navajo. Thus dreamcatchers aren't traditional in most Indian cultures,but rather neo-traditional.
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Today they are popularly found hanging in many places other than a child's cradle board or nursery, such as in living room or on a car's rear view mirror.
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Most of the dreamcatchers are hung around the house such as the porch, dining room and study room.
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" The original meaning of the dreamcatcher has been forgotten by the current generation. "
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There are even dreamcatcher inspired necklaces and earings.
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The beauty of the dreamcatcher has been incorporated to daily uses.
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Dreamcatcher phone cases are popular among teenagers.
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The dreamcatcher has become a popular pattern for many things such as bedsheets and is widely used by many people..
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It is no doubt that the dreamcatcher is very eye catching and many designs have been created based on it.
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It is so popular, many people are selling it everywhere.
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Only the American Native tribes have the rights to claim that their dreamcatchers are authentic.
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Outsiders will be sued by The United States of America if they claim their dreamcatchers are original.
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They are hung outside shops because some people think it brings luck and attract customers.
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There are shops which sells the tools needed to make a dreamcatcher
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The ring hoops, beads and accessories.
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The ropes, threads and feathers.
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HOW IT'S MADE
Gather the Materials
Wrap the hoop
Wrap the wool thread around the metal hoop, metal / plastic / wood leaving a tail of about 6 hoop inches at the top of the beads hoop. Continue wrapping wool thread the thread around the embroidery floss metal hoop, keeping it tight and close together.
Tie the handle
Tie the 'Web'
Tie one end of the Both tails should be embroidery around pointing up. Tie a tight the wool knotfloss the top. knot at the base of the From there, goatloop-details, right at the top of loop around the hoop. the hoop. Tie another knot When reach back at the at the ends of the tails. start, go to the middle of This will be used to hang the floss. continue this the dreamcatcher. until you reach the middle.
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Add beads
Add decoration
Attach the feathers
DONE!
Tie at the end of the Tip : Making a D.I.Y Add any choice of feathers with embroidery dreamcatcher is 1/5 of the Add beads as you loop- decorations in the middle floss. Insert beads into price of a ready de-loop around the hoop. before you end the the knot on the feathers. dreamcatcher. So DIYmade and try it out! 'Web'. Tie the floss to the dreamcatcher.
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About Me ! Shania Tan Cheng Hong | 0334791 FNBE March 2018 Culture and Civilisation | CLS 30105 Assignment 2
The origins of Dreamcatchers are unknown till this day. Yet, the existence of Dreamcatchers are widely known in the world. The meaning of Dreamcatchers have been long forgotten in this generation. Its true colours should be revealed and cherished as it is a sacred ornament. With Reference to: wikipedia.org newworldencyclopedia.org
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