Cradleboards

[creegrandma]

I was looking to see if someone could help me with directions and patterns for a cradleboard. I am going to be a Grandma for the 5th time and my cousin who made cradleboards for my other grandchildren is no where to be found. I would love to make a board for my new grandbaby. I have the board I just need to know how to cut out the material and how to attach it to the board. I will do the beadwork myself along with my daughter. I have a pattern but not quite sure how to or the actual steps to putting it together. Any help would be appreciated. Being so far from home not being able to find anyone out here is hard. Thank you

[CEM]

I'd like to hear about this also. I've got a little one on the way in December. I've looked at a lot of different cradle boards, but I'd love to hear from people who have actually made one. I've got a guestimate about how they are made and could probably figure it out, but some solid instructions would be good.

A few years ago Whispering Wind magazine had an article about making a Cheyenne style cradle board. It might have even had some instructions. I'll have to look.

I've been kicking around having a "cradleboard party" by getting together some of the women I know who are somewhat good at beadwork, serving food, giving them material, and let them help us make one. Nothing draws people in like a meal!

[Jacques]

what kind of cradle ?from what tribe?

[creegrandma]

I am Chippewa/Cree and my husband is Blackfeet. So our Grandbaby will be of all three. My cousin made the other boards with the beadwork of Floral and Northern style of board. They are all made out of cloth/canvas with beadwork around the board. There is a willow branch over the top of the board to hang beads, shells and such from. The others were absolutely beautiful but my cousin is in hiding. lol Thank you all for your replies. Hope to get this done soon. Baby is due in January.

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[creegrandma]

becca u bet..............my email is [email protected] Please email with any questions. If I'm not mistaken Hidatsa is basically the same style just different beadwork for your family. But I would love to correspond with you.

[creegrandma]

CEM,

I wish I could be at your cradleboard party. I do have some sketchy instructions for the cradleboard if you would like me to send you them. Just give me your email address. I also have another cousin who is living up in Northern California who does cradleboards but she is very sick right now and I wouldn't want to ask her until she is better. It doesn't seem to hard to do just in what correct order. Not to take away any from the hard work and effort that goes into making a board. I just think all new babies need one.

[delgada_becca]

cree grandma,
hay....well right now i'm engaged to a
full blooded cree man...and i was wondering about cradel boards myself....how do you exactly make a cree style cradel board....i know how to make a hidatsa one being that's the nation i'm from....i knwo nothing about the cree nation so do you have an email address so i can ask you a couple of questions? many thanks-rebecca

[CEM]

Cree Grandma,

I had trouble e-mailing you, but I would love to see the instructions you have for a cradleboard. My e-mail address is [email protected]

Thanks!

[creegrandma]

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Good day,

I think I'll approach this in a different manner: Does anyone know of someone who makes cradleboards who would be willing to either trade or instruct me for $$$$? I truly would love to make this board since I have posted my other son is now going to be a new father in February. Now I need to do two boards. Of course I get to reap the benefits of new babies. I would love to have a reply to this and would be forever grateful and willing to share what ever I could. Thanks for all of your help.

[Suzizila]

Creegrandma,

There are three possible sources of information I know of for making cradleboards.

1)The Laubin's book,The Indian Tipi, has a couple of pages with diagrams and measurements for a Lakota cradleboard.

2)One of the books from the Beads to Buckskins series, by Peggy Sue Henry, has a whole section on making cradleboards. I don't remember which volume it was though.

3)I am certain that I saw an article in Whispering Wind about constructing cradleboards. I just checked the list of back issues and believe it was Vol 27, Number6.
If you would like to double check this info with the managing editor, Jack Heriard, his e-mail address is: [email protected]

I hope this info helps you out.

[tipis]

1)The Laubin's book,The Indian Tipi, has a couple of pages with diagrams and measurements for a Lakota cradle board.

Lakota cradle boards did not really use the sticks. This is a Cheyenne, Kiowa,Commanchee and Arapaho style. There are some others there too. Lakota used them as wrapping around the baby without sticks. Many sticks have been placed on Lakota cradles because of ignorance of Museums and the traders who sold many of these wanted them to look good on walls. Hard to hang something up that droops.
The information there is sketchy on history, but good for the pictures. Does not do a step by step instruction of how to make, but is as close as you can get for a Cheyenne cradle board. The pictures are great to give you a visual idea. Of the resources mentioned...I would say this is the best. The Whispering Wind article is good on history and details, however, this is great for the beginner.

2)One of the books from the Beads to Buckskins series, by Peggy Sue Henry, has a whole section on making cradleboards. I don't remember which volume it was though.

Stay away from this book. Does not help that much. Some of the work is mislabeled and there is much that depends on what tribe or time period you are doing. She has pictures, but her instructions are not that clear or accurate.


3)I am certain that I saw an article in Whispering Wind about constructing cradle boards. I just checked the list of back issues and believe it was Vol 27, Number6.
If you would like to double check this info with the managing editor, Jack Heriard, his e-mail address is: [email protected]

The article is on Cheyenne cradle boards by Mike Kostelnick (sp) and is very good and I highly recomend it.

Another book to get is on Kiowa and Commanche cradles which Whispering just put an article out on the exhibit and book. This is a very good book. The book run about 32.00$ with shipping. There are some very great differences between Sioux, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Commanche beaded cradles. I have made Crow, Cheyenne, Sioux and working on a full scale Kiowa cradle board. These do take time and material.
Then you get into the southeastern, Southwestern, and eastern styles which are not like the plains styles.

Good luck on your cradle.

tipis

[This message has been edited by tipis (edited June 09, 2000).]