The Totem Post

Monague Native Dreamcatchers

2011-07-13T10:54:00.002-05:00

Several years ago we discovered a company from British Colombia, Canada called Monague Native Crafts. It is a wonderful company which began 25 years ago as a cottage based company and has grown and developed into a world recognized supplier of Canadian Native Handicrafts. They are 100% Native owned and give back much to their community. We carry many of their dreamcatchers which come with inspiring stories of friendship, guidance, safety and soul connections. Their dremacatcher legend goes like this. . .

"One of the most beautiful stories in Native Indian mythology is the dream catcher legend. It is said in the night air, there are good dreams and bad dreams. The good dreams go through the web into the feathers unto the one sleeping while the bad dreams become hopelessly tangled in the web, where they perish at the first light of Dawn."

Another type of dreamcatcher is called the Vision Seeker. It has a quartz crystal in the center of the web and other natural stones surrounding it. It's story is this. . .

"Vision Seekers are designed to capture bad dreams in the web and allow good dreams through. The quartz assists in removing the negative thoughts. The stones enhance spiritual communications and guidance. You will be guided to the Vision Seeker that draws you to your spiritual path."

These are beautiful creations and inspiring Native crafts. These hopeful and peaceful dreamcatchers enhance all our lives.

We are pleased to support such a company.

Ildanach Copper Jewelry

2011-05-27T17:13:00.003-05:00

A few years ago we discovered a company from Colorado called Ildanach Studios. They create unique copper jewelry mainly from recycled metals. The result is a beautiful piece of artwork you can wear and that is actually good for you. Copper has been thought for centuries to bring beneficial healing elements to the body. It is especially good in bracelets. Read on and see what they say about themselves.

"ANCESTRAL SPIRIT, NATURAL MATERIALS, CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS

Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Artisans at the Studios led by husband and wife team, Curtis & Sheron, strive to create contemporary works which are mindful of the beauty in the world around them. Their creative philosophies combine a desire to express, rather than cover the human form - emphasizing natural beauty rather than over polished, sterile objects. The resulting artworks made with recycled and reclaimed metals take on an organic, earthy sophistication and give the materials a voice in the artwork they become and the wearer their own expression."

A piece of jewelry from Ildanach will become a favorite for many reasons and may just become a part of your daily persona.

Our Customers

2011-04-20T08:53:00.003-05:00

One thing I have learned as I grew up in The Totem Post, was that the customers are the best part of having a shop. Since I was 8 years old I have noticed that many people return to our shop. These people often become friends. Others only come once or when they are in town visiting relatives, but they still can become friends. Some even have been coming so long they are now bringing their grandchildren to the shop! We love to connect with our customers, tell about our merchandise or help them find other locations in town. It is our job to help you enjoy your time in Nashville. But I have noticed that the customers often make my day wonderful, too. We have people from many states and countries visit and each person has their own story. Guess I just want to say thank you to all of you that enjoy our shop, because we enjoy being there for you.

Minnetonka Moccasins

2011-01-28T18:26:00.003-06:00

One staple of our shop for decades has been Minnetonka Moccasins. We are proud to represent them, it is a wonderful company. Here is what they say about themselves. . .

"Native Americans wore moccasins long before Columbus discovered the land. It's fair to say that moccasins are truly America's first footwear. Completely casual, they define a relaxed and comfortable lifestyle.

"Since their inception in 1946, Minnetonka Moccasin has shaped the moccasin's place in history.

"Following World War II, Americans took to the highways to discover its natural beauty. Visiting resorts and souvenir shops, they brought Minnetonka moccasins home to the new American suburbs. They soon became casual classics.

"Today, Minnetonka is a mainstay of American style. Minnetonka moccasins, fringe, sandals, shearling, boots, slippers, hats and accessories can be seen everywhere. . .from the streets of New York to the Santa Monica pier and from London to Tokyo. No matter the footprint, all are made with genuine "moccasin soul."

"It's a simple idea. . .Classic design that never grows old combined with a natural, free-spirited heritage. Minnetonka Moccasin continues to define casual and comfortable American style."

. . .and this is why we love them and continue to sell them at The Totem Post (o:

Santo Domingo Jewelry

2010-06-03T12:08:00.002-05:00

The jewelry of the Santo Domingo tribe is, for the most part, a continuation of traditional and ancestral design and technique. Long ago metal was not easily obtained, so jewelry was made of the natural elements which were found nearby or could be traded for. The Santo Domingo today use primarily stone and shell with very little use of silver. Sometimes a backing is chosen - shell, or in the past records, combs or car battery pieces - and then a mosaic design is is inlaid on top. It is often very colorful and abstract.

This tribe also makes "heishi", which is a string of hand ground stone used for necklaces and earrings. The small stone pieces are drilled and strung and then rolled to grind them down smoothly. The result is a string of stone that feels smooth like a snake's belly. When heishi is made this way, each bead fits perfectly with the one next to it. If the string is broken, it may never have the smooth feel it did when it was made.

There is something almost magical and ancient about this type of jewelry. To know that people hundreds of years ago wore this same style of jewelry and that today it still is beautiful and desired is amazing. Wearing it makes you feel you are a part of days gone by.

Brown County Art Colony

2010-05-31T18:46:00.002-05:00

For those of you who have never been to Brown County or do not know the history of the area, it is a fascinating place. Brown County is in the hills of southern Indiana. It is really the first place where the hills start forming as you go south in Indiana. There are mists on the hills and many trees which flower in the spring and turn glorious colors in the fall. Because of this, near the turn of the century, many painters came to this area to paint the wonderful scenery. It soon became a haven for artists and a wonderful, creative community. Famous artists who painted here and lived here were Marie Goth, V. J. Cariani, Adolph Schultz, T. C. Steele.

It has changed a great deal in the past 100 years, but still there are wonderfully creative people who live here. John and Beth Mills who make a unique style of stoneware pottery. Bruce Taggart who makes mandolins and other stringed instruments. Martha Sechler who has a colorful, approach to painting scenery and natural elements. Amanda Mathis who does primitive style paintings of the town and its people. Irene Olds who is an amazing portrait artist and the cartoonist for out local paper, the Brown County Democrat. Brad Cox who is an imaginative metal sculpture. Marty Gradolf, a thought provoking Native American weaver. There is simply so much creativity here, it is everywhere you look. It is in the thinking and atmosphere everywhere.

It is a wonderful place to visit, live and definitely to have a shop with things which have a creative nature. If you haven't been here, you must come visit. If you have, just come back to rejuvenate the artist in yourself. It is a magical place.

Hopi Jewelry

2010-04-14T09:41:00.003-05:00

The Hopi began making jewelry in the 1500's, but silverwork began in the early 1900's. A Zuni silversmith taught them how to use the tools and metal and they began making simple jewelry. As time passed, it was noted that Hopi jewelry was not necessarily distinct from Navajo or Zuni jewelry. So, Dr. Harold Colton and his wife, Mary-Russell, founders of the Museum of Northern Arizona, suggested that they use designs from their pottery and basket weaving. This set them apart from the others. This idea lent itself well to the overlay technique which has become their trademark. After World War II, returning Hopi servicemen were given an 18 month silversmithing course. This perfected their style and brought new ideas and designs.

Today a piece of Hopi jewelry is a work of art. Each piece is done by hand and individually designed. The overlay technique utilizes two pieces of sheet silver. Designs are cut into one piece and then overlaid and soldered onto the second sheet of silver. The area that "peeks" through the cutouts is oxidized to show the pattern more clearly. Often it is also tooled to add depth. Hopi work is usually heavy and the cutouts are crisp, precise and often quite detailed. The designs come from their surroundings and customs. Each piece has meaning to the artist. The Hopi are a deeply spiritual tribe and this translates into their jewelry.

Zuni Jewelry

2010-03-26T07:53:00.002-05:00

The Zuni Indians live primarily on a small reservation in New Mexico. They have made jewelry for over a thousand years. They began by using mainly stones and either drilling or inlaying the stones. This was before they were introduced to silver work in the 1870's by the Navajo. Today they still are fascinated by the use of stones to create beauty. In this way, Zuni artisans use the colors of the stones - turquoise, coral, mother-of-pearl, jet, lapis, sugalite, pink mussel shell, opal, etc - as a color palette to create designs on jewelry. They use small stones to create cluster designs, they also inlay stones to make pictures in stone - birds, animals, kachinas, scenes. Terms you may hear with their jewelry making are : needlepoint, petit point, cluster, channel, inlay. (These terms will be discussed in later posts). The use of silver is mainly to frame or hold the stones and does not tend to be heavy or bold. They let the stones speak for themselves. The Zuni families each try to develop their own style. In fact, in the earlier days, before artists signed their work, you could often tell who made a piece of Zuni jewelry by the design. Zuni also are incredible fetish carvers, as discussed in another post. Which is logical, given their unique capability of utilizing stones in different ways.

Navajo Jewelry

2010-03-24T12:18:00.002-05:00

One of the main reasons I wanted to do this blog was to help customers understand Native American Indian jewelry. It is such a wonderful American art form and deserves recognition as such. It seems logical to start by discussing Navajo silversmithing.

The Navajo began working with silver in the mid 1800's when a Mexican introduced it to them. And soon many Navajo were creating simple earrings, bracelets and buckles. By the 1920's traders brought new influences to the Navajo in the form of better tools, silver coins, and stones. So production increased. The Navajo nation is large and over time several styles emerged. In general, Navajo typically do intricate silverwork by stamping, sandcasting, or tooling the silver. They also love the beauty of stones and will often use the silverwork to frame a beautiful stone such as turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli or petrified wood. They like larger pieces which display craftsmanship, but also do small pieces. Silverwork now comes in the form of squash blossom necklaces, silver bead necklaces, pendants, concho belts, rings, earrings, buckles, bracelets, pins, bolo ties, money clips,and even boxes and figurines. Contemporary artists are now creating works of art using old techniques and giving them a new twist. You can see some of the new works in magazines such as Native Peoples.

Skookum Dolls

2010-03-06T13:03:00.004-06:00

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. When I was young I met a Comanche champion Fancy Dancer named Woogie Watchetaker. He was very sweet to me, as I was a child whose parents were helping put on a Pow Wow in Nashville, Indiana, so I was around, underfoot. He talked with me often and was so gentle. A bit later I was given an antique Indian doll and I named it Woogie, for my friend. It wasn't until a couple of decades later that I found out the heritage of this doll - it was a Skookum doll. A doll with a history all its own.

Skookum dolls began as an idea of Mary McAboy, a Montana woman who, in 1913, began making apple head Indian dolls with blankets wrapped around them. Skookum was a word used in that area which meant excellent or "bully good" (as it says on the label on many of the feet of these dolls). She patented several designs, male, female and a female with a baby. She made them from her home. As her business grew, she went into business with a Western company in Colorado called H.H. Tammen. This company distributed these dolls for nearly 50 years. These dolls had molded faces, which were then given to housewives out west who hand painted them and then assembled the doll using old pieces of fabric, beads and blankets. So, no Skookum will ever be like another. These dolls were sold in trading posts and many shops in the west and were a popular tourist item from the 1920's - 1960's. Their age can be determined by the make of the face, the type of materials used and the type of material used for moccasins. These dolls are a part of Americana and nostalgic for so many people.

I have begun to find these dolls and we now have many on display, for sale, at the shop. I also have learned how to refurbish some of the older dolls, as they were often stuffed with straw, which has deteriorated over time, or they have lost some of their hair or have a moth-eaten blanket. Children played with these dolls and often cracked a face or lost the blanket. But some children kept them as a display doll and they are well preserved. So you can find them in many different levels of value.

I love the fact that Skookum dolls have such a history and were a part of American childhood, but were special enough to be preserved in many attics across the country. I also feel a sense of synchronicity that we now sell them in our shop. I wonder if Woogie knows how often I think of him now (o:

Virginia Fairy Crosses

2010-02-22T09:04:00.002-06:00

Following the "stone" theme of the past few posts, today's topic is Virginia Fairy Crosses. When I was very young, I remember buying one of these crosses and being so fascinated by the legend. It is said that in this small area in Virginia, many many years ago there were fairies. Once, an elfin courier came to tell them of Christ's death and when the fairies cried, their tears formed into these stone crosses. It is said that Pocahontas had an entire necklace made from these. Presidents, crowned heads of Europe and soldiers have kept one of these crosses with them as a protective charm.

The technical term for this crystalline form is staurolite. They come in several cross-like shapes, maltese, roman and sometimes they are more like an X in shape. They are found in clusters imbedded in a rock, or just separate in this shape. There is a State Park in Virginia where you can go to find these on your own, there are plenty to be found and rains constantly wash in a new supply. They are primarily found in Virginia, but have also been found in Russia and France. The type we have are polished, but keep the natural shape in tact. It is said - "Through days of labor and nights of rest-the charm of a fairy cross will keep you blest" Wearing one of these crosses makes you feel very close to nature.

Animal Totems

2010-02-20T13:57:00.002-06:00

Many Native American tribes have symbolic meanings for their brothers the animals. Nature is such a part of their culture and spiritual identity, that every thing has a purpose and meaning. These meanings are quite in depth if studied and may vary a bit from tribe to tribe. But here are a few to give you some insights on this idea.

BEAR - Strength, protection, nurturing and introspection (hibernation)

BUFFALO - Abundance, gratitude and prayer

DRAGONFLY - Messenger of prayers to the Spirit World, guide to positive and new ideas.

EAGLE - Spiritual vision which enables one to see the whole picture.

FROG - Cleansing and beginning of life.

HORSE - Freedom and power, but power that respects and is wise.

OWL - Wisdom by seeing and hearing things that others cannot.

SNAKE - Power to discard the old for new ways, to transform negative to positive.

TURTLE - Patience to wait for the right moment, Respect for earth, protection of thought before sharing.

WOLF - Teaching for the good of the clan, preserving independence, leadership

Zuni Fetishes

2010-02-19T15:12:00.002-06:00

Hello again. Today I'd like to talk about Zuni Fetishes. This is sort of an offshoot of yesterday's Rock Art. Now, this kind of fetish is not a kinky thing, but a small stone carving or even a naturally shaped rock which looks like an animal. These figures are thought by the Zuni to help them spiritually or in daily endeavors such as growing crops. This idea came from a legend that tells of how The Sun dried an earth covered with floodwaters. Lightening was sent to strike the earth and burn away some of the water. When it did it was too easy for so many predators to eat people. So they were struck by lightening as well, which diminished them to a small stone. However, their hearts were still alive and they were told to help mankind with the magic held within their hearts. So when a Zuni found a rock shaped like an animal, it was thought to be one of these animals which held magic in their hearts and it was greatly treasured. Today there are many Zuni fetish carvers who continue this tradition, but as an art form. A fetish is not truly a fetish unless it has been blessed by a shaman.

The wonderful thing about these fetishes are the emotion they stir within. Many people collect fetishes - some because of the animal, some the carver, some just adore the whimsy or intricate detail of the carving. Whatever the reason, these little animals are a wonderful way to connect to the vision of an artist and the beauty of stone and form. They are portable and can sit on your desk or go with you in your pocket as a reminder of spiritual qualities they represent. . .that is a whole other blog post. Maybe tomorrow!!

Rock As Art

2010-02-18T10:34:00.003-06:00

Rocks are another thing that has fascinated my family for years. Perhaps we saw Lucille Ball's "The Long, Long Trailer" once too often. But on our family vacations we always came home with some "pretty rock". There is something about the natural designs, colors and feel of a beautiful stone. It doesn't have to be a diamond to have value. I love seeing faces or scenes in the matrix of a stone. Nothing can calm a person as much as the feel of a smooth, river worn stone. There is some intrinsic value to a geode that looks rough on the outside and has unseen beauty on the inside - a metaphor for many people. Also, stones are the work of centuries - molten lava, sediment compressed. They are works of art that took centuries to create. They have untold stories and have seen things we have not and will be here longer than we are. There is something beautiful and reverent about that.

So, in our shop we have many things made of stone. Of course there are interesting stones in our jewelry, but we also have salt lamps, crystal cluster tea lights, marble eggs, totem stones with animals carved on them, worry stones, onyx carvings, kisi stone carvings from Kenya. Just because everybody needs a rock. Maybe that is what they were getting at several years ago with the "pet rock." That man and nature can connect when man can have a portable reminder of how beautiful nature can be and what lessons it can teach.

Hello from Nashville

2010-02-16T13:10:00.000-06:00

Hi.
Thanks for viewing my blog. I hope to help anyone who is interested in Native American Indian jewelry. Also, I would love to hear thoughts on spiritual insights. I think we all are connected in so many ways and creativity is a great way to get to know each other. I have been artistic nearly all my life. Perhaps I got that from growing up with parents who were professional dancers and living in an artist colony in Indiana. Anyway, I see such a connection to life through art of every kind. I love things that are handmade because when someone wears a piece of jewelry that is handmade or displays a piece of artwork that someone else has created, they are revering the soul of another. It connects us. What a wonderful thing. So stay tuned for new insights, as I discover this world of blogging.