Dream Catcher

What is the DreamCatcher ?

Dream Catchers, also known as Spider Web Charms, are believed to trap unimportant or bad dreams that float in the air, pretty much the way a spider traps insects that flies into its web. 
     The Ojibwe Tribe were the very first to design these decorations to protect their infants against bad dreams that could possibly come throughout the night.  Both bad and good dreams were caught within the web, but only the good dreams were permitted to slide down along the feathers to the infants head.  Thus, the bad dreams would become lost within the web and would not be able to find the way to the infant.  By morning, when the sun rays would bring in light to the child’s room, it would destroy the bad dreams.  Here is the Ojibwe Legend that was traditionally explained verbally.
      Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as TurtleIsland.   This is the way that the old Ojibwe storyteller say how Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) helped Wanabozhoo bring giizis (sun) back to the people. 
     Asibikaashi took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so this day.  When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America to fulfill a prophecy, Asibikaashi had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards.  So,  the mothers, sisters, and Nokomis (grandmothers) took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the new babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants.  They are in the shape of a circle to represent how giizis travels each day across the sky.  The dream catcher will filter out all the bad bawedjigewin (dreams) and allow only good thoughts to enter into our minds when we are just abinooji (babies).  You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher where the good bawedjige may come through.  With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish.
     When we see little Asibikaashi, we should not fear her, but instead respect and protect her.  In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web the number of points where the web connected to the hoop numbered eight for Spider Woman's eight legs or seven for the Seven Prophecies.
     To this day, Asibikaashi will build her special lodge before dawn.  If you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for her lodge and you will see this miracle of how she captured the sunrise as the light sparkles on the dew which is gathered there.
      The above was used with permission from the following:
Article #677 From the Native American Indian Tribes of the US and Canada

ORAL TRADITION:OJIBWAY LEGEND

"A spider was quietly spinning his web in his own space. It was beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother.

Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, quietly spinning away. One day as she was watching him, her grandson came in. "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted, glancing at the spider. He stomped over to the spider, picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

"No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him."

"Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?" asked the little boy.

The old lady smiled, but did not answer. When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.

He said to her, "For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web. You have admired my work. In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift." He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.

Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window. "See how I spin?" he said. "See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams. Only good dreams will go through the small hole. This is my gift to you. Use it so that only good dreams will be remembered. The bad dreams will become hopelessly entangled in the web."

Note: One of the old Ojibway traditions was to hang a dream catcher in their homes.  They believe that the night air is filled with dreams both good and bad. The dream catcher, when hung, moves freely in the air and catches the dreams as they float by. The good dreams know the way and slip through the center hole and slide down off the soft feather so gently the sleeper below sometimes hardly knows he is dreaming. The bad dreams, not knowing the way, get entangled in the webbing and perish with the first light of the new day.

Small dream catchers were hung on cradle boards so infants would have good dreams. Other sizes were hung in lodges for all to have good dreams.

The originals were made of night whispering willow and night seeing owl's feathers by grandmothers in the tribe and given to new babies and newly married couples for their lodges. Todays catchers are made with a variety of materials but are still hand crafted with the same loving care as the Ojibway made theirs.

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