Blackfoot Beading

[jinglejammer27]

I hae a question in reguards towards beadwork. Are there any more specific design's the Eastern Blackfoot used? The only 2 designs I know of are the one in the picture shown on here and my great grandma's beadwork she made some beaded belt such useing my great grandpas design which was eagle eye and as soon as i find it i'll scan it on here. Did the Eastern Blackfoot also use mostly floral?

[Linda]

If our belief that that Eastern Blackfoot ID is a marker for VA/NC Siouan, (Saponi, Tutelo, Occoneechee, Stuckenock, etc.) is correct, then the patterns would be geometric, the few artifacts that are known show this. They are not unlike other Siouan patterns.

There's the Sauratown woman's reconstruction, which shows her wearing a beaded hood. I asked a Lakota gentlemen if he'd ever since the pattern before, and he said he'd only seen it on some warbonnnets.

[Linda]

If you'll set the option at the bottom, "Showing threads . . ." to "from the beginning you may find more posts on this subject that will tell more of what we know about this.

Could you share a picture of the beadwork your great grandmother did?

[jinglejammer27]

Linda,
Will do. I just have to loook through my mas cedar chest ...been meaning to do some housecleaning again.

[Tom]

remember that our folks are southeastern people!
There is some very distibctive styles and patterns.
We need to develop this thread and try to show what patterns were used.
Pottery is a great place to start, many of the old impressed designs can be translated to beadwork and embroidery.
Also one very nice piece of unided bead work was a pouch that had ribbons held down with a bead that was spaced apart from the others., it was very old ; the patterns were of hearts!.
Much more latter!

[lynellarainhawk]

I have a small book here on Blackfoot Craft's but guess what.....
It's Northern. Theres nothing Eastern in it. Oh well, if I come across anything I'll let you guys know. Lynella.

[Linda]

I would guess anything contemporary in print about Blackfoot designs would be about the Siksika (Montana or "Regular" Blackfoot.) There's really no relation at all between them and the VA/NC Piedmont people we're researching. The regular Blackfoot are Algonquin, our Piedmont folks were Siouan.

[lynellarainhawk]

Yeah, I know! I like to learn about all the cultures, so I'll pick up just about anything from the used bookstore. Besides, Jesse is a really cool old hippy and I have to buy something from him whenever I go in. I gotta help keep him in grocery money! I may have some info at a later date about some land in Pike county Indiana, but I need to get some Topo maps of that area and check out some stuff about a little theory I have and, if it is the way I think it is, worried it is, I'll be really peaved (or peeved) at my sister Nelda! It's way too early for me to be trying to spell this morning. I spent the day with some of my family yesturday and got way too tired. Love & Light, Lynella.