DaCotau

Does anyone know where I might be able to find examples of traditional Dakota beadwork designs?

__________________
"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible"
"You cannot give the people who have wronged you so much power that they take away your dreams"

bonniebee

My favorite book so far is "Quill and Beadwork of the Western Sioux" by Carrie A. Lyford.

Another good resource is used book stores. If you go to the old "Time-Life" style pictorial-history books, look through the "old west" books. There are some good pictures in those and some funny historical innacuracies.

Here is a good link to some neat pics:

http://forum.americanindiantribe.com...pic.php?t=3798

Fat Albert

That kind of work is all over the place. Are you looking for something specific? The harder thing to find is what the designs were used for/ gender/ society/ family info. You will probably need to gift some groceries to the right people in Dakota country for that kind of info. Picture may 1000 words but it is what they can't tell us that I have found to be the most interesting.

Dakota Delegation 1877 - From http://Smithsonian Institution Natio...Archives<br />

Fat Albert

Both pictures from SIRIS
Chief Maga Ska (White Swan), Called Joseph H. Ellis, Jr? - 1905




SIRIS- Chief Mato-He-Hlogeco or Matho-Hexaloketca or Hu-Hu-Lo (Hollow Horn Bear or Bones) or Hoo-Hoo (The Bone) - Son of Maza-Pankisko (Iron Shell) - January 1909

BeadMan

Um...I think you may be a little misguided or confused. Dakota are NOT Western Sioux, they are Eastern Sioux. Eastern Sioux (Dakota) historically did a great deal of abstract floral motifs. Here are some Dakota moccasins.

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Dakota-Mocs-4.jpg (34.8 KB, 13 views)

Fat Albert

Hey Beadman, I know, I know... that what you get when you trust the Smithsonian! As for the abstract work, I have these mocs as well (both from an auction site I think). Now am I on the right track?

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	Third Quarter 19th Century.jpg (34.3 KB, 6 views)
	s - 10 & One Half in..jpg (6.8 KB, 6 views)

BeadMan

Fat Albert, your blood pressure must be running low, go eat a doughnut or something.

Postcard of Dakotas inSask. 1909

Attached Images

Dakota-1909.jpg (57.6 KB, 13 views)

Fat Albert

Not the first time I was wrong and won't be the last! Fat Albert loves doughnuts! Off to Krispy Kreme!

OLChemist

The Lyford book deals with Lakota quill and beadwork, principally Oglala.

UNL Digital collection has a few items:

http://contentdm.unl.edu:2000/cdm4/r...OT=/omaha2&t=a


From auction, etc sites:

http://leatherestoration.redwebz.org/santee.html

http://www.rivertradingpost.com/Indian%20Beadwork.htm


I omitted links to several nice pieces because the sites had pictures which showed sacred items being treated with disrespect.


Just an observation for what it is worth. To my eye, the pieces I've seen over the years remind me of the stylized plant motifs used in Pennsylvania Dutch needlework. The colors are different but very similar motifs are used to render different parts of the plants. The Santee make their leaves narrower but one of the pieces in the U of NE collection looks a lot like an antique Amish sampler I was given a few years ago.

DaCotau

Thanks to all who responded. As Beadman pointed out, traditional Dakota designs are different from Lakota (Plains/Western Sioux) designs. Our designs were less geometric and more woodlands style. I was hoping someone might know of a great reference source for traditional Dakota beadwork designs. Our history is not so well known as the Lakota and it is much more difficult (in my experience) to locate examples of traditional Dakota art and crafts work (at least in the area I live). Thanks again everyone.

__________________
"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible"
"You cannot give the people who have wronged you so much power that they take away your dreams"

BeadMan

NYC-Yea, I bet it is tough to get Dakota stuff there. The American Museum of Natural History is the place you need to go. I just went to their online database and they don't even list Dakota or Santee as possible tribes to search, but their collection is massive and I know they must have some stuff. Contact the museum and arrange to look at some objects. PM me if you need help with this.

They also have a great research library and archives. A quick scan shows resources like Mayer's 1851 drawings of Dakota Life. I bet those are something else to see. Also found Wissler's Protective Designs of the Dakota. They probably have lots more.

DaCotau

Thanks. I had heard that there are several Dakota pieces on display at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC also. I am going to plan a trip down there. I want to visit the museum anyway as I have heard it is very good.

__________________
"No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible"
"You cannot give the people who have wronged you so much power that they take away your dreams"