What Is Navajo Jewelry

Origin myths are traditional stories pass down from generation to generation. The Earth’s on Turtle’s Back, When Grizzlies Walk Upright, and from The Navajo Origin Legend all revealed different customs, attitude, and beliefs. These aspects showed the lifestyles and culture of each tribe and how they all came to be. Each myths are far original and different, yet at the same time similar. They focused on natural aspects of how the world came to be. In the story of The Earth on Turtles Back, the Onondagas believed in the world came from a turtle’s back, this showed their beliefs in the animals are the original owners of earth and respects for the animals. Similarly, the Modoc’s also have great deference to animals and especially to grizzlies.

The Navajo people believe that creation began in another world. Originally the Navajo began as insects on the first world. Due to continuous quarrelling the leaders of the realm force them

The Creek Indian Tribe created art by using items they found in nature. They used it to tell a story or represent history. Each item that was made had a purpose and was put to use. Many of the items were created just before the Green Corn Festival.

Navajo culture distinctively took hold in the four corners area of the Colorado Plateau around 100 A.D., although they are believed to have been around for centuries before then. Disliking the term “Navajo Indians”, they refer to themselves as the “Diné” which means “The People” or “Children of the Holy People”.

According to Source 2 it states, “Sandals woven from yucca fiber were typically footwear of the Mesa Verde people. Yucca fibers were boiled or soaked and then pounded to expose the inner fibers. These fibers were also used to produce rope, snares, mats, baskets, belts, and much more.” This shows how they used Yucca fibers not only for footwear but for other things such as producing rope, snares, mats, baskets, and belts. According to Source 2 it also states, "The Ancestral Puebloans were also artists and traders-trading with a network of tribes to bring shells such as these from the Gulf of California to to wear as ornamental jewelry.” This shows that they had a skill for jewelry and were able to use it for

According to the history of the Navajo Tribe, the Holy People lived in the underworld and helped by guiding the First Man and First Woman to earth (McCoy 1988). The Holy People are said to be attracted to songs, dances, and chants during the ceremony along with the creation of Sandpainting. The Sandpainting is used in the healing process of the ceremony to draw a picture that tells a story of the Holy People. The Navajo culture have amazed so many people to how beautifully constructed the rituals are performed.

The native americans also made special tools to help them live!Here are some examples of some tools the cahuilla and the mojave made and how they made them.They made spades out of flint, stone or iron.They also made bows and arrows out of plant stems that grew on trees, stone or iron to make the arrow head, tied the arrow head onto a stick, and

Native American art is a profoundly expressive culture that has been a way of life for so many Native Americans. Native American art history has advanced over thousands of years and is composed of several idiosyncratic styles from the differentiating cultures of diverse Indian tribes. From Navajo to Hopi, each tribe has a particular history, which consists of many types of Native American arts including beadwork, jewelry, weaving, pottery, carvings, kachinas, masks, totem poles, and more. To truly understand Native American art, we will explore Native American art history, its subjects, and if Native American art has a spiritual connection to it.

The Chippewa men wore headdresses made of stiff porcupine hair. These headdresses closely relate the Chippewa to the Mohawk and Mohicans. Women kept their hair long in length and braided it, with pieces of cloth and shells intermingled in them. Jewelry was something very important in the Chippewa culture. They wore copper bracelets and beaded necklaces. Also important in the Chippewa society were tribal tattoos and face paint. These distinct markings were used in times of war to differentiate between tribes.

They did many different kinds of artwork including, beadwork, quill embroidery, and carving art’s. The Beadwork can be grouped together by beaded leather and beaded strands. The beads in the beadwork were originally made out of natural materials like shells, stones, etc… They made Bags, Belt Buckles, And Earrings.Some of crow indian artwork is displayed at the American museum of natural history, and more artwork is in private collections and in other museums. Some of their beadwork they made they wore.

Native American culture originated in some parts North America. These countries are known as the United States of America and some parts of Canada. In the United States, there are 6.6 million Native Americans, which form about 2.0 percent of the population (Bureau, 2016). Europe had realized there were about 50 million people already living the “new world” and these people were called Native Americans. Native Americans were originally called Indians, but later through history they formed a new name. These people were called this because of them being native to the “new world” and the American part came after the colonist named the United States. Throughout history, Native Americans believed that using raw material in nature was the best way to provide for their people. Their culture thought no part of an animal should go to waste. They would eat the meat, use the skin for clothing, and make jewelry from the bones. Over the years a lot of their culture and customs were lost due to conforming with society. Their languages were referred to as “Indigenous Languages” because of them being extremely complicated and diverse. Some important factors that help understand the foundation of Native American culture are their rituals/practices, death ceremonies, holidays, family, and stereotypes.

Chester is confused when it comes to religion. After being taught his whole life about Navajo beliefs he is now being introduced to Christianity. This is very confusing for him because as is his begin presented with all this new information, for example the birth of jesus, the trinity, saints, and sacraments. While learning this he beings to question if a navajo belongs at a “white man’s church”. He questions this because of the differences between the two religions; christianity as chester says stands in awe over the creation of the world by god, whereas the navajo focuses on forming a relationship with nature. Because of this when the children are forced to choose between the two religions, they could not. (Nez & Avila, 2011).

The Navajo economy depended on two primary sources-agriculture learned from the pueblo peoples and livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses obtained initially form the Spaniards. Because the San Juan River was one of the few reliable sources of water in Navajo territory, during the summer months

Ojibway Indian men usually wore breechcloths and leggings. The women wore dresses and kept their hair in neat braids. Their shoes were called moccasins. They were made out of deer or moose hide. Customarily, they wore leather headbands with feathers in the back. The Ojibway Indians made pictures, belts, purses, and other objects out of beads. They loved to use wampum beads in their artwork. Wampum beads are purple and white beads made from shells. The Ojibway Indians make beadart by sewing the beads onto leather so they can be placed individually or sewn into strips. They make the strips by stitching the beads into a string. This is usually done by hand or sometimes with a bowloom. Beadart takes years to master and is very time consuming for the Ojibway Indians. The Ojibway also made dream catchers out of sticks and feathers. They believed that the dream catchers would protect them from bad dreams.

The Navajo Indians emulated the pueblo. The shed their animal skin clothing for cotton and learned quickly how to farm. These people settled in between the Rio Grande and the Grand Canyon. They herded sheep and grew corn in the valleys. They were a peaceful group of people, and were one with their surroundings.