Native American crafts?

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HappySlappyDuckfeet

HappySlappyDuckfeet

In the Brooder
8 Years
May 8, 2011
28
0
32
Garden Grove
Does anyone here enjoy/collect Native American art? I don't mean the clique 3-wolf type stuff, but art that's more authentic and has some real effort, love and respect for the culture put into building it. Stuff that is handmade with bone beads, deer antler, bison teeth, pelts, handwoven with strips pf bark, leather and deer sinew used as thread, even a bone splinter and porcupine quill used fo sewing, etc. Anyone?
 
]I make Sioux, Pawnee and Cherokee inspired items using only natural tools and materials. I do sell some pieces but it's mostly just a hobby,
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Anyway I just finished a willow limb basket with all the bells and whistles. I started it in 2008. Seriously! It took 5 months for the green limbs to dry and harden for the base alone. Went a couple years in storage gathering dust while I was busy with my newborn son. I'm laid up now after having emergency surgery one week ago and I used my endless couch time to finish the basket, whoo hoo!

As said I use only natural tools and materials; I even cut and stripped the branches with a flint blade and did the sewing with soaked bark strips, deer sinew and leather! Heck my sewing needles are either a sharpened antler sliver or a porcupine quill (fyi do not stick yourself with porcupine quill, it is not magical!) I used hawk, pheasant and duck feathers, rabbit pelts I cured myself, coyote teeth, walnut stained bone beads, a bison tooth, bison hair, a deer antler (natural shed) hand-knapped agate and obsidian arrowheads, a hand-woven mini dreamcatcher, the works! I went nuts on that thing LOL. Not even sure I'm done with it, feeling an urge to add a sweetgrass braid or something. I'm going to sell the basket via auction starting tomorrow. After that I think I'll do a ceremonial bison horn drinking cup (real horn, always) with beads, feathering and maybe a fox tail for decoration. This stuff is fun to do!

Momsfolly, if you'd be interested in something I make a point of selling my items cheaper than average. A bison horn drinking cup is only $35 from me (that's the average price; depends on decorative materials) and a decorated (using hawk feathers, beading, coyote teeth, abalone shell) full-body coyote pelt runs $100. I also do personalized 'medicine' pouches. I don't have the skill for mask carving, sadly.
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I want to learn someday!
 
Just be sure and never sell anything as "Indian" unless you attach your Tribal roll # on it due to the Native American Arts and Crafts Act.
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I have a few pieces, but mainly sculptures and carvings right now. I've collected most of my life but lost everything several years ago when we lost our home to a fire. I just have a few pieces I've picked up here and there since then. Some I've bought, others were gifted to me.
 
I have a small collection of carved ivory, fossilized whalebone, baleen, and scrimshaw. And a basket made by a native american friend of mine. I also have one made by his niece.

Imp
 

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