lakota women began making quilts in the late 19 th century. lakota morning star quilt
TRANSCRIPT
LAKOTA WOMEN BEGAN MAKING QUILTS IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.
Lakota Morning Star Quilt
The Star
The Lakota incorporate many of their traditional symbols into the quilts.
The star is known to the Lakota as the “Great Spirit’s breath,” Stars were often seen painted on the buffalo hide robes and soon appeared on quilts.
How many Stars
Most Lakota star quilts have a single star; however, multiple and broken star patterns are not uncommon.
The single star is made of small diamond-shaped patches pieced together in eight sections. When these sections are joined together, the eight-sided star is formed.
The Traditional design
The traditional lone star pattern is an eight pointed star, made up of 8 large diamonds.
Each large diamond is in turn made up of 25 small diamonds. Altogether the star collage has 200 small diamonds.
Each large diamond in the quilt on the next slide is made up of 36 small diamonds. Altogether the star collage has 288 small diamonds.
Quilt
Buffalo
As the buffalo numbers were depleted, the Lakota had to find other materials for making bedcovers, clothing and so on. The Lakota people were already skilled at sewing therefore the adaptation of materials was an easy transition.
The Star Quilt took on the role of replacing the buffalo robe in ceremonial and religious life.
Nothing wasted
Similar to the resourcefulness shown through the uses of the buffalo when the Lakota people quilt all scraps and pieces of fabric are used.
Worked Alone
Lakota quilters work alone rather than in groups, the only times groups of quilters come together are in times of crisis, when quilts have to be produced in a hurry.
When are Star quilts used
Over time, star quilts came to be used in many celebrations, especially the birth of a new baby. They have become an important way of honoring sports players, graduations, and at ceremonies.
Death, birth and other important events are a time for giving and sharing of these Star Quilts at ceremonies.
Give Away Ceremony
The most important use of star quilts in contemporary Lakota society is as gifts at a memorial for the deceased called a "Giveaway". The Giveaway is a time to share food, quilts and goods at a memorial.
Resources
http://www.straw.com/equilters/library/quilts/lone_star_quilts.html
http://www.aktalakota.org/index.cfm?cat=1&artid=128
Bateson-Hill, Margaret, Christine Fowler, and Lakota Philomine. Shota and the Star Quilt. New York, NY: Zero to Ten Unlimited, 1998.
Peggy Morrow. Math Makes Sense. Pearson Education Canada, 2007.