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Catalog Number : 55255
Accession Number : 16837
Tribe : Ojibwe
Region : Great Lakes; no area specified
Material : Glass beads, velvet, cloth, yarn

This bag's pouch and shoulder straps are completely covered in an array of colored glass beads. The horizontal strap above the pouch is beaded in a simple floral design, as are edges of the pouch. The bag ends in beaded tassels.

Source : Purchased with funds donated by A.D. Braun of Milwaukee, WI.

Lakota Girl's Dress

Children's clothing from North American Indian cultures, other than moccasins, is unusual to find in many museums. This little girl's dress is in exceptional condition and is among the earliest items to be cataloged in the Museum.

Item Image
dress
Catalog Number
E28
90
Catalog Number : 3274
Accession Number : 146
Accession Date : 3/7/1906
Tribe : Winnebago/ Ho-Chunk, Black River Falls, WI
Region : Northeast
Material : wood, leather, cotton cloth and string, glass and brass beads, nails
Source : Thomas R. Roddy

Regional Diversity and Design

The geographical regions of North America are diverse, and so too are the people who adapted to those environments. Tribes that shared a regional domain with access to many of the same resources and environmental constraints would often develop similar technology and artistic decoration. Regional boundaries only show general patterns of similarity; they are not static.

Chamacoco Collection

The Museum's Chamacoco Collection consists of 70 objects, such as this belt ornament made of tropical bird feathers, and represent items both for everyday use and for ceremonies. Collected in 1925 by the Museum of the American Indian in New York, they came to the Milwaukee Public Museum that same year. The Chamacoco live in the Gran Chaco region of northwest Paraguay. The Chamacoco today alternate between their traditional hunting and gathering and more recent light agriculture, craftsmanship, or labor. Their population has dwindled from several thousand to approximately 1,000 people today, and few museums in the United States have such collections.

Item Image
belt ornament
Catalog Number
N/A
Accession Number
8117
120
Catalog Number : 54765
Accession Number : 16202
Tribe : Potawatomi
Region : . Great Lakes Area
Material : Glass beads, brass beads, velvet cloth, cotton ribbon, wool yarn, thread

This bag is has beadwork attached to a purple velvet material. The design includes maple leaves (in blue and green), berries, and geometric patterns. The shoulder strap and bag pattern are similar; the horizontal panel is geometric. The bottom is tabbed, with yarn tassels. The majority of the bag is trimmed in red ribbon.

Source : Donated by J. Fletcher Harper. Unknown collector.