Hide, Wood, and Willow: Cradles of the Great Plains Indians

Description

For centuries indigenous communities of North America have used carriers to keep their babies safe. Among the Indians of the Great Plains, rigid cradles are both practical and symbolic, and many of these cradleboards—combining basketry and beadwork—represent some of the finest examples of North American Indian craftsmanship and decorative art. This lavishly illustrated volume is the first full-length reference book to describe baby carriers of the Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and many other Great Plains cultures. Author Deanna Tidwell Broughton, a member of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation and a sculptor of miniature cradles, draws from a wealth of primary sources—including oral histories and interviews with Native artists—to explore the forms, functions, and symbolism of Great Plains cradleboards. As Broughton explains, the cradle was vital to a Native infant’s first months of life, providing warmth, security, and portability, as well as a platform for viewing and interacting with the outside world for the first time. Cradles and cradleboards were not only practical but also symbolic of infancy, and each tribe incorporated special colors, materials, and ornaments into their designs to imbue their baby carriers with sacred meaning. Hide, Wood, and Willow reveals the wide variety of cradles used by thirty-two Plains tribes, including communities often ignored or overlooked, such as the Wichita, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, and Plains Métis. Each chapter offers information about the tribe’s background, preferred types of cradles, birth customs, and methods for distinguishing the sex of the baby through cradle ornamentation. Despite decades of political and social upheaval among Plains tribes, the significance of the cradle endures. Today, a baby can still be found wrapped up and wide-eyed, supported by a baby board. With its blend of stunning full-color images and detailed information, this book is a fitting tribute to an important and ongoing tradition among indigenous cultures. List of Illustrations ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction 3 PART ONE Cradles on the Great Plains and the Women Who Used Them 9 “A Cradle for This Child,” by N. Scott Momaday 10 1. The Woman’s Place 11 2. Plains Cradles 21 PART TWO Northeastern Cradleboards 25 3. Santee Dakota 27 4. Yankton and Yanktonai 37 5. Ioway 41 6. Plains Cree 44 7. Plains Ojibwa 50 PART THREE Prairie Cradleboards 57 8. Otoe-Missouria 59 9. Osage 62 10. Kaw 69 11. Omaha 73 12. Ponca 79 13. Pawnee 82 PART FOUR Northern Plains Flat Boards 89 14. Crow 91 15. Blackfoot 97 PART FIVE Hurdle Cradles 105 16. Arapaho 107 17. Wichita 119 18. Lipan Apache 124 PART SIX Lattice Frames and Soft Hoods 129 “Pahn-t ope” (Cradle), by Ray C. Doyah 130 19. Comanche 131 20. Kiowa 139 21. Apache Tribe of Oklahoma 163 22. Cheyenne 167 23. Tonkawa 178 24. Lakota 181 25. Assiniboine 192 PART SEVEN Hide Baby Bags, Swings, and Hammocks 195 26. Hidatsa 197 27. Mandan 200 28. Arikara 202 29. Gros Ventre 205 30. Sarcee 209 31. Stoney 212 32. Plains Métis 214 33. Quapaw 217 Conclusion: Leather Shall Breathe and Wood Shall Sing Again 219 Appendix A. Tribes Historically on the Plains 223 Appendix B. Plains Indian Terms for Cradles 224 Appendix C. List of Museums 226 Notes 231 Glossary 245 Bibliography 249