“Whimsies” are small beaded items that were created by Native American artisans to sell to tourists. At the turn of the 20th century, the Niagara Falls region experienced a great boom in tourism, and visitors proved eager to buy handmade goods as souvenirs. Native cultures of this region were well-known for making skilled floral beadwork that appealed greatly to the aesthetics … [Read more...] about Beaded Bags: Researched and Conserved by Cassidy Hale
Native cultures of the American Southwest produce three main kinds of Kachina figures. The Hopi and the other Pueblo cultures produce tithu figures, which are religious, educational toys that portray Kachina spirits, the benevolent spirits of the Pueblo religion. The tithu are carved by men in the community and given to girls at the beginning of the Kachina season, to help … [Read more...] about Kachina Figures: Researched by Darbi Dugan and Ashley McLaughlin

