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Native American Art

Spiritual Value

Perhaps the most stunning of all Native American creations are those made for celebration.

Meticulous effort is put into the making of these objects, because of the importance of both the event and its spiritual implications.

Native Americans live their lives with an understanding that the resources of the earth were a gift and not to be taken for granted. They view themselves not as masters of their domain, but as a brushstroke on nature’s canvas.

To this end, Native Americans frequently celebrate the bounty of the earth, and this kinship they share with nature is part of their spiritual core.

Ceremonial dress, beaded necklaces and pendants are part of their celebratory rituals. These rituals express gratitude for what they viewed as favor, such as in reaping the benefits of a good harvest.

Like many other cultures, celebratory rituals include events of a more religious nature.

The celebration of a marriage or birth saw use of these bejeweled items, as did exercising burial rights, where the deceased was adorned in items and garments often created by family members.

Native American spirituality is culturally and individualistically all-encompassing.

For example, ritualistic objects, such as Kachina dolls, are used to perform rituals to appease gods in order to bring about the healing of an infliction or the altering of the weather or the defeating of an enemy.

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