Hello there dreamers, welcome back to Dream Diary. I am D.D., your speaker. What is the history behind the Native American Dreamcatcher? You've probably seen a dream catcher and wonder about its purpose and where it came from. Dreamcatcher is originally created by American Indians. Dreamcatchers today come in a variety of different sizes and styles. They usually consist of a small wooden hoop covered in a net or web of natural fibers. With meaningful sacred items like feathers and beads attached, hanging down from the bottom of the hoop. Real authentic, traditional dreamcatchers are handmade and crafted only from all natural materials. In size measuring just a few small inches across. The hoop is traditionally constructed from a bent red willow branch covered in stretched sinews. Rapping the frame in leather is another common finishing touch among real dreamcatchers. Today the Dreamcatcher is associated with Native American culture in general. But Dreamcatchers are often believed to have originated from the Ojibwe Chippewa tribe in particular. The Lakota tribe also has its own legend about the origins of the Dreamcatcher. But most ethnographers believe the Dreamcatchers were passed down from the Ojibwe through intermarriage and trade. The Ojibwe word for Dreamcatcher a sobbe keshian actually means spider, referring to the woven web loosely covering the hoop. The patterns of the Dreamcatcher web are similar to the webbing these Native Americans also used for making snowshoes. Ancient legends about the history and origin of the Dreamcatcher exist among several Native American tribes. But are most common and seem to originate among the Ojibwe and Lakota nations. While many cultures consider spiders to be creepy crawlers, the Ojibwe people saw them in a different light, as symbols of protection and comfort. According to an old Ojibwe legend, a mystical and maternal spider woman once served as the spiritual protector for her tribe. Especially in concern to young children, kids and babies, as the Ojibwe people flourished and spread out across the land. It was difficult for the spider woman to continue to protect and watch over all the members of the tribe as they migrated farther and farther away. This is why she created the first Dreamcatcher. Following her example, over the course of generations mothers and grandmothers continue to ritualistically recreate the maternal keepsake as a means of mystically protecting their children and families. Even from a distance. .