Most of what you see when you search for 'Native American dreamcatchers' are cheap objects mass-produced in an Asian sweatshop somewhere or glued togetherīy non-native teenagers with eBay accounts, and these 'dreamcatchers' often bear only vague resemblance to the actual American Indian craft it is supposed But on the Internet, oddly enough : practically nowhere. US or Canada, and you can find them at any tribal gift shop, powwow, or Indian event. People are making dreamcatchers in just about every Indian reservation in the So where can you find a native-made dreamcatcher? In Indian territory, almost everywhere. Others consider them a symbol of native unity, and still others think of them as sort of the Indian equivalent of a tacky plastic Jesus hanging in your truck. Some Indians think dream-catchers are a sweet and loving little tradition, Today you see them hanging in lots of places other than a child'sĬradleboard or nursery, like the living room or your rearview mirror. Most Indian cultures, per se, but they're sort of neo-traditional, like frybread. In other Native American tribes, even those in disparate places like the Cherokee, Lakota, and Navajo. Made with sturdier string meant to last longer and decorated with beaded thongs.ĭuring the pan-Indian movement in the 60's and 70's, Ojibway dreamcatchers started to get popular Traditionally Native American dreamcatchers are small (only a few inches across) and made of bent woodĪnd sinew string with a feather hanging from the netting, but wrapping the frame in leather is also pretty common, and today you'll often see dreamcatchers The legend is that the badĭreams will get caught in the dreamcatcher's web. Tied webbing for their snowshoes-and hang this 'dream-catcher' as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. Ojibway people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame-in a somewhat similar pattern to how they

Maybe it's our most common art-related question : 'Where can I get a real Native American dreamcatcher that isn't fake?' Before weĪnswer it, let us give you a little history.ĭreamcatchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the

Dream catcher origin and meaning