beaded sash, unrecorded Potawatomi artist

In the early 19th century, the United States government forcibly relocated ten thousand Native Americans to reservations throughout the Southern Plains. The Potawatomi were driven from their homes in the Great Lakes region into what is now the state of Kansas, encountering unfamiliar climates, economies, resources, and neighbors. The Potawatomi endured many hardships, including prohibitions against openly expressing their culture, practicing their religion, and speaking their language. In order to preserve tribal identity and retain a sense of cultural autonomy, Potawatomi mothers incorporated a secret language into beadwork and ribbonwork, using designs to communicate information about family, birth order, religion, and medicinal plants. To agents of the federal government, these beautiful costume accessories appeared decorative, but for the Potawatomi, the designs embodied in the exquisite floral and geometric motifs conveyed important cultural information.