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Beautiful Native American Merchandise Online

By Daphne Bowen


The New World was occupied by many great nations made up of several individual tribes prior to the Europeans colonizing it. Each one had its own culture, belief system and unique style of craftsmanship and artistry. Modern descendants from these mighty people strive to carry on the treasured traditions of quality crafting, enabling the masses to buy authentic Native American merchandise online easily.

Living mostly on, or around reservations, many of the tribes still exists as independent nations, keeping their traditions and history alive. There are those living inside the borders, as well as out, who make it their mission to continue the various art forms of their ancestors, utilizing the same materials and techniques. Unique skills such as these are treasures passed from one generation to another

That to which The People found themselves most spiritually connected, like their religion, the stars, moon, sun, animals and all of nature, were most often represented in art. Each piece had a very special feel to it as they were hand crafted using almost exclusively natural products. They used items such as silver, gems, stones, shells, sand, clay, beads, wood, leather, bone, hides, feathers, quills and much more, quite frequently.

Some companies who focus mainly on reproduction pieces will mass produce items that are based on tribal styles but in a more commercialized fashion. As they are created in bulk by machinery or on assembly lines, the products are made mostly with synthetic materials like acrylic, nylon and plastic. Hand crafting with genuine articles by traditional means is a benchmark of authenticity.

Websites selling souvenir type items may feature crafts such as dream catchers, bead work purses and bracelets, turquoise and silver jewelry, moccasins, drums and totem poles. That is largely because products like these are easily recognizable to the mass population. Posters, key rings, paintings, books and trinkets are often sold simply as commemorative pieces.

A more elite line of products are typically offered on websites that feature authentically crafted pieces. These could be such items as carvings in soapstone or whale bone done by the Alaskan Innuit and Yupik tribes, or enchanting kachina dolls that are a Hopi specialty. Navajo rugs are frequently sought out because each one is an original piece, hand woven on a loom using high quality wool with the greatest of skill.

With hundreds of tribes across the country, there are many artistic styles of woven baskets, clay pottery, masks, beaded goods, dolls and musical instruments. Every piece is a hand crafted treasure. One might even be able to locate creations made in the highly specialized art of using porcupine quills as decoration, which was the standard practice in the time before beads were discovered.

Specialized crafts are generally found on websites that prioritize authenticity. The traditional chieftain and warrior style headdresses of each nation are truly amazing works of art. Baleen baskets, intricate sand paintings, hoop masks, medicine wheels and fetish carvings are products desired by many who appreciate fine skills.




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