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History of Apache Indian Beaded Jewelry Buy Apache Indian Jewelry The Western Apache Indians of Arizona have a beadwork tradition that extends back at least to the middle of the nineteenth century. It contains distinctive elements, as well as features that demonstrate its affinity with other Southwestern beadmaking styles. Apache Indians were relative newcomers to the Southwest arriving sometime between 1400 and 1600, traveling from the Northwestern part of North America. Those Apache bands that settled in east central Arizona have collectively been called Western Apache. Like their neighbors of the Plains, Western Apaches made clothing of animal hides and often decorated clothing and accessories with painted designs made from vegetable pigments, and later with the European-introduced glass beads or with a combination of these elements. Example at right. Video: Apache Indian Crown Dance (click arrow in the frame on lower right) |
Beadwork is not a craft commonly associated with Southwestern Indian tribes, who are best known for their pottery, basketry and textiles. Apache clothing styles with sewn beadwork resemble that of tribes of the Southern Plains and Northwest area (Great Basin). Some Apache beadwork-strung and braided necklaces and netting work shows influence from the Yuman tribes of the Colorado River. At Right: Early Apache beaded awl The Eastern Apaches-Jicarilla, Lipan, Kiowa and Mescalero-as well as the Chiricahua were all beadmakers as well. The Jicarilla, Lipan and Kiowa have a style very similar to that of the Southern Plains tribes near whom they lived. Beadwork styles of the Mescalero, Chiricahua and Western Apache are all similar to each other, but lack a strong Plains stylistic connection. Four major beadwork techniques are represented in Western Apache designs: sewing, stringing, netting and loom weaving. Additionally, the sides of pouches and necklaces are sometimes trimmed with blanket stitch. Images of Apaches in studio photographs of the 1880s provide some of the earliest documentation of Apache use of glass beads for ornamentation. The stringing of beads was one of the earliest beaded jewelry forms. Strands of seed beads, pony beads and larger necklace beads were strung on rawhide or string and worn around the neck or wrists in tight multiple strands by both men and women. At Right: Knife holder This ornament tradition probably had its origins in the use of shells and stones which were fashioned into pendants or beads before imported glass beads became available. Some Western Apache bracelets and charms made at the turn of the century combined glass beads, handmade stone and shell beads, and unaltered shells and seeds. Seeds such as Job's tears (Coix lacrrima jobi) or coral beans (Erythrina flabelliformis) were commonly interspersed in longer necklaces. Men's necklaces commonly had tweezer pendants used to pluck facial hairs. The tweezers would be fashioned from scraps of metal- often bullet casings. Women's necklaces frequently had mirror pendants which were at times used as signaling devices. Silver discs and pendants were often suspended from both men's and women's necklaces. Another type of strung necklace, made up of braided strands of seed beads joined at the bottom by a large bead was popularized after the turn of the twentieth century. Similar necklaces are found among the Yuman tribes-Yavapai, Mohave, and Quechan (Yuma)- and is likely that the Apache borrowed this style from them, possibly directly from the Yavapai with whom they were interned at San Carlos Indian Reservation. Other jewelry forms were made by netting. The Western Apache netted collars are similar to those of the Colorado River Indians. Small bags or purses were also netted. A variant of netting, "peyote" or "gourd stitch" was used by Western Apaches to make T-necklaces. These necklaces were worn primarily by young Apache women principally at the girl's puberty ceremonies and appear to be specifically of Apache origin. At right: Early photo of puberty pancho. The Western Apache also used the peyote stitch technique to cover handles for objects such as riding quirts (for horses or dogs), and later cover bottles and make keychains. Below: Early Apache Indian quirt using the Peyote stitch technique. The use of peyote stitch in this manner is much more common among Native Americans than in making flat items. T-necklaces were made with the peyote stitch technique until around 1920 when loom beadwork was popularized. After the introduction of bead looms, items such as Below: T-necklace T-necklaces, belts, and hatbands were woven. Many loom woven goods exhibit pan-Indian styles, patterns and color combinations with the exceptions of T-necklaces and items with obvious Apache motifs such as Ga'an dancers. Beads were also sewn into clothing. By the 1850s, seed beads were the predominant items used for decorative sewing. Usually, a very small bead size, 13/0, was used to make designs on clothing. Buckskin shirts, ponchos, skirts and moccasins were beaded in the "lazy stitch" technique. In this method, several beads are strung on a single thread and sewn in rows into the buckskin. Accessories such as pouches, awl cases and sheaths, hats and hair ornaments were also decorated with lazy stitch. Below Right: Early Apache Indian beaded saddle bag Below Left: Early Apache Indian beaded medicine bag The Western Apache sewn beadwork style, historically resembling that of the Great Basin Paiute, is characterized by linear patterning. Clothing is typically bordered with narrow bands of diagonal stripes in alternating colors. Pouches and moccasins are frequently decorated with bands encircling central composite patterns. Geometric are common. Apache medicine hats and other ritual paraphernalia often contain beaded iconographic designs. One such design is the "cross and crescent," a symbol popularized by a turn-of-the-century religious revitalization movement among the Western Apache. See early examples at the bottom of this page. Styles and techniques predictably changed once beadwork was made for an outside market. This started among the Western Apache as early as 1880, with soldiers from reservation forts being among the first collectors. The advent of the Santa Fe railroad added yet another source of craft buyers. In addition to more traditional items such as awl cases, cradleboards and pouches, Western Apaches made novelties-watch fobs, necklaces, hat bands and napkin rings. As more beaded items were produced for sale, the bead jewelry makers gradually chose to use glass seed beads that were larger in size 6. In 1870 bead size 13/0 was employed. In 1880 bead size 12/0 predominated and bead size 11 /0 also appeared. Bead size 12/0 continued to be used in the 1920s, and from 1910 to 1920 bead sizes 11/0 and 12/0 were frequently used together. By 1930 bead size 11/0 predominated. Since 1960 bead size 10/0 has been used almost exclusively, although there has been a shift by many modern bead jewelry makers to the smaller beads. These changes, as well as the changes in technology-peyote stitch to loom weaving-are of assistance in dating Western Apache beaded objects. Beadwork continues to be produced today, both for Apache use and for the outside tourist market. Popular contemporary items are keychains, necklaces, earrings and barettes, as well as loom woven T-necklaces. As was the case in the past, most contemporary bead jewelry makers are women. While many are elderly, a number of young women-and some men have taken an interest in the craft The importance of bead jewelry making extends beyond the economic to the cultural sphere, where it contributes to the perpetuation of a distinct Apache Indian identity. Below: Early Examples of Apache Beadwork Using the Cross and Crescent Symbols. A t-necklace is pictured in the center. Below: A beaded doll cradle. Refereneces Ferg, Allen. ed.. (1987). Western Apache Material Culture: the Goodwin and Guenther Collections. Gil, Carol A. Bowdoin. (1977). Native North American Seed Beadwork Techniques, Part I: Woven Items. Mails, Thomas. (1974) The People Called Apache. Orchard, William C. (1929). Beads and Beadwork of the American Indians. Pardue, Diana E. (1982). Western Apache Beadwork. Tanner, Clara Lee. (1968). Southwest Indian Craft Arts. |
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