Native American History for Kids - Native Art
With the use of feathers and leather and dyes and grass and wood and bark and rocks and clay and other items found in nature, Native Americans created art that was both practical and beautiful. Their art honored their gods, told stories, and stored goods.
All North American Native Americans made baskets: Baskets were a big part of daily life in tribes across the country. These early people made woven baskets out of the natural materials available to them. Part of a woman's job was to never let her family run out of colorful baskets. Once baskets were made, they were used to store belongings on the open shelves, to haul and store food, and used for trade.
Beadwork: Their bead based art was used on clothing, in jewelry, and on everyday objects like their tents. Since they moved from place to place, their beadwork was used on items that could be dragged or carried with them. The beads they made by hand from clay, using natural dyes and other items found in nature, were so beautiful that they were also used in marriage ceremonies, trade agreements, and treaties. Some beadwork used unique patterns for spiritual dances and celebrations to honor their gods. When beadwork was made with shell beads, it was called Wampum.
Once European explorers and settlers realized how important beads were to the American Indians, the Europeans began using tiny colorful beads made in European glass factories to trade with multiple tribes for furs and leather goods. Because these beads were more rare than native made beads, American Indians perceived glass beads as a sign of wealth. The more glass beads you had or used, the wealthier you were and the more valuable the item you made.
Although they loved to use the European made beads, Native Americans mostly used items found in nature to make creative jewelry, baskets, drawings, paintings, quillwork, ceramics, metalwork, masks, canoes, textiles, weaving, and other arts.
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About Native American Art
"There are over 500 Indigenous Nations in North America! Each nation or tribe brings a unique artistic vision to the arts." Native American Activities for Kids
Native American Art Online Collection (over 3000 examples!)
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Native Americans for Kids
Native Americans in US, Canada, and the Far North
Early people of North America (during the ice age 40,000 years ago)
Northeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Northeast Woodlands include all five great lakes as well as the Finger Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River. Come explore the 3 sisters, longhouses, village life, the League of Nations, sacred trees, snowsnake games, wampum, the arrowmaker, dream catchers, night messages, the game of sep and more. Special Sections: Iroquois Nation, Ojibwa/Chippewa, The Lenape Indians. Read two myths: Wise Owl and The Invisible Warrior.
Southeast Woodland Tribes and Nations - The Indians of the Southeast were considered members of the Woodland Indians. The people believed in many deities, and prayed in song and dance for guidance. Explore the darkening land, battle techniques, clans and marriage, law and order, and more. Travel the Trail of Tears. Meet the Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, Choctaw, Mississippians, Seminole Indians and Cherokee Indians.
Plains Indians - What was life like in what is now the Great Plains region of the United States? Some tribes wandered the plains in search of foods. Others settled down and grew crops. They spoke different languages. Why was the buffalo so important? What different did horses make? What was coup counting? Who was Clever Coyote? Meet the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Comanche, Pawnee, and Sioux Nation.
Southwest Indians - Pueblo is not the name of a tribe. It is a Spanish word for village. The Pueblo People are the decedents of the Anasazi People. The Navajo and the Apache arrived in the southwest in the 1300s. They both raided the peaceful Pueblo tribes for food and other goods. Who were the Devil Dancers? Why are blue stones important? What is a wickiup? Who was Child of Water?
Pacific Coastal Northwest Indians - What made some of the Pacific Northwest Indian tribes "rich" in ancient times? Why were woven mats so important? How did totem poles get started? What was life like in the longhouse? What were money blankets and coppers? How did the fur trade work? How did Raven Steal Crow's Potlatch?
Inland Plateau People - About 10,000 years ago, different tribes of Indians settled in the Northwest Inland Plateau region of the United States and Canada, located between two huge mountain ranges - the Rockies and the Cascades. The Plateau stretches from BC British Columbia all the way down to nearly Texas. Each village was independent, and each had a democratic system of government. They were deeply religious and believed spirits could be found everything - in both living and non-living things. Meet the Nez Perce
California Indians - The Far West was a land of great diversity. Death Valley and Mount Whitney are the highest and lowest points in the United States. They are within sight of each other. Tribes living in what would become California were as different as their landscape.
Native Americans of the Far North: What trick did the Kutchin people use to catch their enemies? How did these early people stop ghosts from entering their homes? Why was the shaman so powerful? What is a finger mask? Play games! See and hear an old Inuit myth! Enter the mystical world of the people who lived in the far north in olden times. Algonquian/Cree, Athapascan/Kutchin, Central Canada, Inuit, The Shaman
Comparison Chart (Europeans & Indians)