Blackfoot Dreamcatcher

admin 4/8/2022

A Chippewa Legend

A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space. It wasbeside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother. Each day,Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away. One dayas she was watching him, her grandson came in. 'Nokomis-iya!'he shouted, glancing at the spider. He stomped over to the spider,picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

The Legend of the Dream Catcher Long ago when the world was young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to him in a sacred language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand.
“Dream catchers (webbed and beaded circles hung with feathers from the base of the circle) have long been a part of Native American religion, lore, and art. They have caught on within the New Age movement into popular culture.
As a first-level, single story condo, this unit offers functionality and simplicity while still retaining enough space for the family to spread out. The master bedroom is large, with a queen size bed, plenty of closet space, and a private bathroom. A second bedroom conveniently connects to the hall bathroom and offers space and beds.

Uploaded in HD at http://www.TunesToTube.com.

'No-keegwa,' the old lady whispered, 'don't hurt him.'

'Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?' asked the little boy.

The old lady smiled, but did not answer. When the boy left, thespider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.He said to her, 'For many days you have watched me spin andweave my web. You have admired my work. In return for saving mylife, I will give you a gift.'

He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.

Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gentlyin the window. 'See how I spin?' he said. 'See andlearn, for each web will snare bad dreams. Only good dreams willgo through the small hole. This is my gift to you. Use it so thatonly good dreams will be remembered. The bad dreams will becomehopelessly entangled in the web.'

Sleep well sweet child
Don't worry your head
Your Dream Catcher is humming
Above your bed

Listen so softly
I know you can hear
The tone of beyond
Close to your ear

Love is alive
And living in you
Beyond all your troubles
Where good dreams are true

Dream Catchers

An ancient Chippewa tradition
The dream net has been made
For many generations
Where spirit dreams have played.

Hung above the cradle board,
Or in the lodge up high,
The dream net catches bad dreams,
While good dreams slip on by.

Bad dreams become entangled
Among the sinew thread.
Good dreams slip through the center hole,
While you dream upon your bed.

This is an ancient legend,
Since dreams will never cease,
Hang this dream net above your bed,
Dream on, and be at peace.

Return to Chippewa Legends

Native American Technology and Art

Instructions for Making

Dream Catchers

1. Start with a 2 - 6 ft. length of fresh Red Willow (Red Osier Dogwood), or soaked Grapevine (dried grapevine is available in the craft department of many stores) Carefully bend the vine around to form a circle with a 3 - 8 in. diameter. You decide on the diameter, but traditionally dreamcatchers are no wider than adult's hand.
2. If you are using thin Red Willow or grapevines, twist the piece you are bending, around the circle you have made to strengthen the hoop.

3. Use 4-16 ft. of strong but thin string (the length is determined by the diameter of the hoop).
Knot a loop in one end from which you will hang your dream catcher when it is done.
4. Tie the hanging loop around the top of your dream catcher (or at the weakest point of your hoop).

5. The dream catcher repeats the same stitch from start to finish. To start, hold the string and place it loosely over the top of the hoop. Move the string around to the back of the hoop (forming a hole) and pull the string back through the hole you just made.

6. Pull each stitch taught but not too tight or it will warp the hoop of the dream catcher and it will not lie flat when it is done.

7. Continue the same stitch for the first round around the hoop of the dream catcher. Space the stitches evenly, about 1 1/2 to 2 in. apart (making 7 to 13 stitches around the hoop).
8. The last stitch of the first round should be placed about a half inch away from the the hanging loop.

STITCH FOR THE SECOND ROUND:
9. On the second and subsequent stitching rounds, place the string around the center of each stitch from the previous round (rather than around the hoop).
10. As you pull each stitch tight, the string from the previous round should bend towards the center of the hoop slightly, forming a diamond shape. You should see the spider web beginning to form.
11. On the third or fourth round add a bead to represent the spider in the web. Simply place the bead on your string and continue stitching as usual.

12. Continue stitching towards the center of the hoop. Eventually, the stitches become so small that it is difficult to pass the string through. Make sure you leave a hole in the center of the dreamcatcher.
13. Stop stitching at the bottom of the hole in the center of the dream catcher. End by stitching twice in the same place, forming a knot, and pull tight.

14. You should have 6 - 8 in. of string to tie 2 or 3 feathers which dangle from the center of the dreamcatcher.
Tie on 2 or 3 feathers and knot.

Blackfoot Dreamcatchers

15. Wrap a 1 in. square of felt around the knot of string and over the base of the feathers. Tie two 4 In. pieces string around the wrapped felt.
16. Hang over sleeping place. Sweet Dreams!!

Origin of the Dream CatcherReturn to Willow Branches and Other Twigs and Roots Background

Blackfoot Dream Catchers

Branches, Twigs & Roots Bibliography and Books to Buy On-Line