Miscellaneous Native American Artifacts


Originally Indian bead art was created like the bottle on the left: just stringing beads on one long thread and winding it around an object. But it didn't take them long to develop sophisticated techniques as used on the moccasin upper on the right. With these advances in art, some very beautiful bead works were created.
This abalone shell was used by California Indians to burn sacred offerings like sage.
Hand-cobbled, these shoes were
worn by a Native American kid
around 1888. The reason he got
shoes, unlike most Indians, was
because he had a white father who
gave them to him.
This Cheorokee baby carrier was used in the 1890s. The baby would sit in it with his back against the long part and dangle his feet out over the bottom.


The board on the right is a half of a Navajo cradleboard used in the 1840s. On the left is a more recent cradle board, similar to what the one on the right looked like when it was whole.