Lakota Morning Star Quilt LAKOTA WOMEN BEGAN MAKING

Lakota Morning Star Quilt LAKOTA WOMEN BEGAN MAKING QUILTS IN THE LATE 19 TH CENTURY

The Star The Lakota incorporate many of their traditional symbols into quilts. The star is known to the Lakota as the “Great Spirit’s breath. ” Stars were often seen painted on buffalo hide robes and soon appeared on quilts.

How many Stars Most Lakota star quilts have a single star; however, multiple and broken star patterns are not uncommon. The single star is made of small diamond-shaped patches pieced together in eight sections. When these sections are joined together, the eight-sided star is formed.

The Traditional design The traditional lone star pattern is an eight pointed star, made up of 8 large diamonds. Each large diamond is in turn made up of 25 small diamonds. Altogether the star collage has 200 small diamonds. Each large diamond in the quilt on the next slide is made up of 36 small diamonds. Altogether the star collage has 288 small diamonds.

Quilt

Buffalo As the buffalo numbers were depleting, the Lakota had to find other materials for making bedcovers, clothing and so on. The Lakota people were already skilled at sewing, so the adaptation of materials was an easy transition. The star quilt eventually took on the role of replacing the buffalo robe in ceremonial and religious life.

Nothing wasted Similar to the resourcefulness shown through the uses of the buffalo, when the Lakota people quilt all scraps and pieces of fabric are used.

Worked Alone Lakota quilters typically work alone rather than in groups. The only time groups of quilters come together are in times of crisis, when quilts have to be produced in a hurry.

When are Star quilts used Over time, star quilts came to be used in many celebrations, such as the birth of a new baby. They have become an important way of honoring sports players, graduations, and other ceremonies. Death, birth and other important events are a time for giving and sharing of these star quilts at ceremonies.

Give Away Ceremony The most important use of star quilts in contemporary Lakota society is as gifts at a memorial for the deceased called a "Giveaway". The Giveaway is a time to share food, quilts and goods at a memorial.

Resources http: //www. straw. com/equilters/library/quilts/lone_star_quilts. html http: //www. aktalakota. org/index. cfm? cat=1&artid=128 Bateson-Hill, Margaret, Christine Fowler, and Lakota Philomine. Shota and the Star Quilt. New York, NY: Zero to Ten Unlimited, 1998.