The Legend Of The Dream Catcher

By | March 28, 2019

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Dreamcatcher In Anishinabe Community Of Kitcisakik, Abitibi, Quebec, Canada. Source: (Photo by David DUCOIN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

A Native American item that has achieved widespread use as a tribal decoration, dream catchers can be found in home décor stores, gift shops, on key chains, and on t-shirts. But do you know the Native American legend behind the webbed hoop and what it means to the indigenous people of the United States? Here is the meaning behind the beautiful, tribal dream catchers. 

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Ojibwa people. Source: (kids.britannica.com)

An Ojibwa Tradition

Although many tribes had dream catchers, the Ojibwa people may have originated the tradition, according to some historians and ethnographers. These researchers note that the Ojibwa word for the dream catcher is "asabikeshiinh,” which translates to "spider." They also point to the similarities in the patterns of ancient dream catchers to the webbing pattern in Ojibwa snowshoes as further evidence of the dream catchers’ origins.