Dreamcatchers, not just a decoration: their meaning, value, and cultural significance

Dreamcatchers became popular in the 1980s and 90s when a watered-down version of the meaning behind the Indigenous decoration became mixed into popular culture, with people hanging them to "catch bad dreams."

The Indigenous communities have mixed feelings about the commercialization of dreamcatchers. At times, their sale is condemned for misappropriating the spiritual significance of dreamcatchers.

In contrast, other First Nations have taken advantage of their popularity and partake in the production and sale of the item.

We all dream, and trying to untangle and interpret our dreams and subconscious thoughts have been the life work of some psychologists and scientists.

And although there have been multiple theories and vast quantities of written analysis, modern scholars are by no means the first to have taken on this eternal and elusive subject.

Dream interpretation has directly influenced Indigenous cultural and spiritual beliefs in America for centuries.

Many Indigenous people believe dreams influence the conscious soul of the dreamer and that they can influence changes in personality traits such as confidence, maturity, kindness, and loyalty.

In Ojibwe culture, dreams are significant and can have many different purposes. From prophecies to baby names and spiritual strength to symbolism, dreams help guide Ojibwe people in their day-to-day lives and with their spirituality.

The Ojibwe understood the importance of dreams, in particular those of children. That is why they decided to help children receive good dreams and filter out negative dreams by using a dream catcher.

The Ojibwe attribute the origin of dream caters to Asibaikaashi, who was known as the Spider Woman. Askibaikaashi was known as the custodian of all Ojibwe infants and adults.

Photo by Lauren Raine, the creator of this sculpture of Spider Grandmother. Wikicommons

However, it became a difficult task for her to take care of all of the Ojibwe people as they started spreading out across different regions of North America.

Renowned ethnographer Frances Densmore spent a large part of her life working with Indigenous tribes in North America, including the Ojibwe.

In her book, Chippewa Customs, from 1929, Densmore wrote of the long tradition and use of dreamcatchers among the Ojibwe.

Densmore wrote, "Infants were given protective charms in the shape of "spiderwebs" that were hung on the hoop of a cradleboard."

"Traditionally, two spider webs were hung on the hoop, and it was said that they protected the child from harmful dreams and other dangers passing through the air."

Densmore explains clearly in her book that the Ojibwe believed that the dreamscatcher's web will trap bad dreams or dark spirits, thereby allowing the good dreams to escape through a small hole in the center and enter the child's dream.

However, dreamcatchers were not only exclusively used for children. Many Ojibwe lodges had a dream catcher hanging above the family's sleeping area to filter evil spirits from all of their dreams.

As marriage among tribes and intertribal trading increased, the concept of the dreamcatcher was spread to others, such as the Lakota, who later developed their own dreamcatcher traditions.

During the 1960s and 1970s, particularly during the 'American Indian Movement' (AIM), when the pan-Indian mindset developed in the US, other tribes began to accept the concept of dream catchers, incorporating them into their own tribal cultures to help retain traditional spirituality.

To better help understand the parts of the dreamcatcher and what they mean, the writing of Frances Densmore is helpful.

Densmore wrote, "These articles…consisted of wooden hoops about 3 ½ inches in diameter filled with an imitation of a spider's web made of fine yarn, usually dyed red. In old times this netting was made of nettle fiber."

Photo: Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin (1929)

According to the Ojibwe, the different parts of the dreamcatcher all have a meaning. The wooden hoop traditionally was either circular or teardrop-shaped. It served primarily as a frame for the web, but some elders say it represents the circle of life.

The web, traditionally patterned after a spider's web, was to catch bad dreams and keep them from entering the dreamer's head. The feathers provided a soft ladder for the good dreams to glide down and gently enter the dreamer's mind.

These days First Nations craft makers often add additional items to dreamcatchers. For example, beads, gemstones, or arrowheads.

A single bead on a dreamcatcher often represents the spider that made the web, whereas many beads or beads hanging represent good dreams.

Gemstones are often used to replace certain types of feathers and their symbolism. Arrowheads are used to increase protection and strength.

In the United States, the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 prohibits manufacturers from claiming their products are made by Native Americans unless they are "a member of any federally or State recognized Indian Tribe or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by an Indian Tribe."

The power of dreams and the idea of filtering out the bad ones is widely accepted and crosses many cultural boundaries.

However, First Nation artisans would most definitely prefer that buyers be aware and only purchase authentic dreamcatchers made by those who invented them.