TRADITIONS

TRADITIONS

Native American Art


An important Cheyenne custom was the smoking of the peace pipe. There were strict rules that were practiced during the smoking of the pipe. A prayer was offered before the first smoke. Most men had their own specific way to smoke the peace pipe.

Another tradition of the Cheyenne was their story telling, which could only be done by certain people. These stories were often related and followed a structure.

Symbols of power




Pouch

Correspond to the four cardinal directions and serve as powerful guardian spirits of the sky. The scalps of many mallard ducks are used for the rich green of the lower portion of the pouch, representing the watery underworld.

Man's Shirt




The shirt is a symbol of power and belonging by the tribe Cheyenne


The painted images of flying birds on the breast and back probably represent guardian spirits who offered blessings as gifts in a vision or dream.
Faces on the spirit world

Native American imagery often symbolizes complex philosophical ideas. The faces and creatures carved or modeled on these objects were intended as metaphorical expressions of spiritual concepts.

Frog Effigy Platform Pipe



The frog seated on the Effigy Platform Pipe represents a spiritual intermediary through whom power flows. The act of smoking tobacco is intended as an offering; a gift in return for the spirit being's blessings. Note that the frog faces the smoker when the pipe is used, the same as the human face carved on one side of the Pipe Bowl.

Women’s Innovation




During the 19th century, American Indian women artists experimented with several different media and techniques when producing objects for both their own use and for exchange or sale. The introduction of European glass "seed" beads, silk ribbon, and cotton and wool cloth contributed to innovations in the design of shoulder bags, moccasins, and other elements of clothing. Older modes of artistic expression were adapted and combined with the new, conveying the vitality and dynamism of American Indian art and culture

Moccasins


Moccasins were created by women artists as part of their traditional role of preparing clothing for their families

Web Pages:
The Detroit Institute of Arts ,New world cultures, http://www.dia.org/collections/aonwc/nativeamericanart/nativeamericanart.html.%20Consultado%2020/06/2008

Grinnell, George Bird. The Cheyenne Indians: Their History and Ways of Life. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, Inc., 1962. http://www.dia.org/collections/aonwc/nativeamericanart/1988.27.html
Date: June 20-2008