| American Indian art encompasses many
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| | often steamed to soften them for
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| types of arts and crafts, from the more
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| | stringing and /or bending into various
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| traditionally and / or stereotypically
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| | shapes.
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| Native American art such as beadwork and
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| | As an example of beadwork used for a most
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| pottery, to modern photography, fine
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| | practical purpose, the Iroqois League
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| paintings, sculptures and the like. There
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| | (Haudenosee) used white and purple wampum
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| are many art auctions, both online and
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| | chains made of fresh-water clam shells to
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| off, that feature this form of American
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| | record sacred ceremonies, treaties and
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| Indian art.
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| | songs. This practice was used both before
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| In this article we'll discuss one of the
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| | and after the coming of European
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| most traditional and historically
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| | settlers.
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| relevant branches of American Indian art:
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| | Many types of agreements were recorded
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| beadwork. Beadwork of the Native American
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| | with such beadwork chains. They were
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| peoples had and has practical as well as
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| | highly valued and cared for by their
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| decorative; utilitarian as well as rich
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| | owners. European settlers mistook this
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| symbolic meaning.
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| | care and reverence for wampum beads as a
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| Beadwork and making of the beads
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| | sign that the beads held monetary
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| themselves is a very old craft. Stone,
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| | significance. As such, they mistakenly
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| bone and shell beads (such as turquoise
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| | assumed that the word 'wampum' referred
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| and semi-precious stones) are still made
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| | to money, when in actuality these
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| the same ancient way. Little affected by
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| | important beads were much more like very
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| modern technology, the making of beads is
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| | important original documents.
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| still carried out in nearly the exact
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| | To string beads, Native Americans used
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| same way as peoples did thousands of
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| | animal sinew that is split very fine with
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| years ago.
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| | which to attach beads to clothing, though
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| Sea shell bead pieces are among the most
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| | infrequently strong plant fibers such as
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| popular and well known pieces of regional
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| | hide thongs or nettle were used for these
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| trade importance for thousands of years.
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| | purposes.
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| Nearly everyone has seen American Indian
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| | Today, the Navajos as well as some pueblo
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| art pieces, from beaded necklaces to
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| | people still make the ancient bead type
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| purses, belts and such.
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| | called the heishii. This is by far the
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| For the last several decades modern
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| | most popular and high quantity type of
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| beadwork has been replicated in oriental
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| | beadwork that is still made today as it
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| factories and very cheaply imported. This
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| | was in ancient times. These necklaces are
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| makes it a competing factor against the
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| | also referred to as story necklaces as
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| top quality beadwork done by American
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| | they can be used to tell stories, with
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| Indian craftspeople. The native American
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| | each bead representing a character.
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| crafts people have lost several millions
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| | Beads and beadwork are a very important
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| of dollars (just over an eight year
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| | part of archaeological explorations of
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| period during the 1980s) to these fake
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| | pre-European history. Beads have survived
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| native beads and beadwork pieces.
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| | thousands of years and tell many
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| Historically, beads were carved from
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| | fascinating stories about times we
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| turtle shell, animal horn and deer
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| | weren't around to witness. This is
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| hooves. These were often used for making
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| | particularly true with respect to
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| rattling or tinkling pieces utilized in
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| | beadwork mad of sea shells. Ancient shell
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| dance. Hunters often wore necklaces put
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| | beads have been found thousands of miles
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| together with animal portions, such as
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| | from seas, which indicates various trade
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| bear claws or wolf claws. These indicated
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| | routes and contacts among different
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| a hunter's prowess. Bones and seeds were
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| | groups of people.
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