Our Native American Club put their creative talents together to create these two beautiful star quilts for our hallway.
Oceti Sakowin , meaning Seven Council Fires, (known to some as the Sioux Nation) is a confederacy of Native Nations that speak three different dialects of the same language: the Dakota , Nakota , and Lakota . The Lakota, the largest of the three groups, is composed of seven bands that occupy reservations in South and North Dakota. The Dakota, or Santee , live in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The Nakota reside in South Dakota and Montana. -- SD Office of Indian Education, "Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards
This is an example of Oceti Sakowin artwork.
Buffalo hides were first used for clothing, robes, and blankets. But after the buffalo population had been nearly decimated, the Oceti Sakowin people began using cotton for their blankets.
Native women used their sewing skills to create traditional designs on the quilts, which were then used in many ceremonies as well.
Quilts remain important in many traditional Oceti Sakowin ceremonies such as weddings and high school graduation. To receive a star quilt is a great honor.
