Native American ornaments deck your tree with history - Illustration

Sunset, Dec, 1993 by Peter O. Whiteley

This gathering of handmade ornaments has many tales to tell. Crafted by Native American artists--from the frozen tundra of Alaska to the arid expanses of northern Mexico--the ornaments evoke the West's history with an intriguing blend of symbolism, shapes, and textures. Some are versions of everyday household items, scaled down or adapted for display on Christmas trees. Others have spiritual meanings. The artists have signed many of their pieces.

The materials and design used in each ornament reflect its origin and the tribe of the artist. Alaskan Eskimos often use fur or other materials from the gray seal, a diet staple. Colorful beadwork decorates the ornaments.

Craftsmanship and design elevate and enrich even the doll-size utilitarian items. In the Northwest, the Yakimas create delicately woven leather and fiber baskets and are famous for their watertight taxus (Indian hemp) baskets. The Pueblos make miniature clay pots and kachinas, the Hopi make deerskin drums, and the Apaches weave reed baskets.

Other tribes borrow historical techniques but apply them to nontraditional shapes. For instance, star and candy cane shapes are painted with the bold patterns of Southwestern tribal pottery. The Huichol tribe of northern Mexico decorates eggs with the wax and beadwork once applied to masks.

The delightful dream catcher is based on a myth common to many tribes. This hoop, with its web of string or leather thongs, is hung above sleeping infants in Native American homes. As the legend goes, good dreams slip right through the catcher, but bad dreams, entangled by the web, perish with the first light of day.

Decidedly not run-of-the-mill, these collectible artifacts are available mostly at museum shops, galleries, and organizations specializing in native crafts. Alongside each ornament pictured, you'll find a telephone number for placing an order or requesting a catalog. Postage and handling costs are additional. No two of the handmade ornaments are exactly alike; what you see in a catalog may not be identical to the piece you receive. Also, specific pieces may be limited in availability.

For more ornament sources, call the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior at (202) 208-3773 and request the free Source Directory; it has an extensive listing of art and craft businesses owned and operated by Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts.