
INDIAN BEADWORK 
INTRODUCTION 
The most famous beadwork is that of the American Indian; in 
fact, no other people produce anything like it. But not all Indians 
produce it. The great beadwork area is the country around the Great 
Lakes and the Western Plains—all the States that border the Lakes, 
that lie between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi, and ad- 
joining parts of Canada. 
Beadwork is modern, that is, it originated with the introduction of 
glass beads after the discovery of America in 1492. Yet there was some- 
thing like it before, known as porcupine quill embroidery. The latter 
was prehistoric and wrought in designs similar to those now seen in 
beads. What happened then was the substitution of European-made 
glass beads for quills. Thus, the truth of the matter is, that it is the 
glass beads that are modern and not the art of embroidery nor the de- 
signs employed. In fact some quillwork is made to this day. So we 
are now to study an art that was fully grown when Columbus sailed 
from Spain in 1492 and one which is the outgrowth of years and years of 
toil on the part of prehistoric Indian women. 
It will be necessary, therefore, for us to study both bead and quill- 
work. Of beadwork there are two kinds: (a) true embroidery and (b) 
weaving. The former was almost universal until twenty years ago. 
All of the examples on exhibition in the Plains Indian and the South- 
west halls of the Museum, are of this type. In the Woodland Hall, on 
the other hand, both embroidery and weaving appear, particularly 
among the Menomini tribe. 
GUIDE TO THE COLLECTIONS. 
Bead and quillwork are shown in three halls on the ground floor. 
Turn to your left from the main entrance to the Museum, into the hall 
for the Indians of Eastern United States (Eastern Woodland Hall). 
The best bead workers represented in this hall are the Ojibway, Meno- 
mini, Sauk and Fox, and Winnebago, all living near the Mississippi. 
But the center of the art is west of the Mississippi among the Plains 
Indians, collections for which are in the next hall, west. Almost every 
case in that hall is a storehouse of beaded designs. Then to your right, 
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