Jeri Ah-be-hill talks about the history of beads

[@danielledesmarais3026]

Thank you for sharing Jeri Ah-be-hill! If I may add a little...it is very true we did not have seed beads like the ones the traders brought, BUT we did have many kinds of beads made from bone, stone, shell, quills (as was mentioned), and even seeds! So when the traders brought the new kind of small glass bead, we easily saw their value in expanding our creative and honour expressions. It is always a joy as an archaeologist to uncover our ancestors' tiny bugle beads cut from small rodent or bird limb bones, and it makes me wonder if a child knocked over their mothers beads while playing...like I did?

[@LouiseSolomon-wf4xd]

Here in Alaska, I heard people used to make beads out of small pieces of wood. Yes, and use animal parts for thread. But then the traders started bringing in the beaded jewelry. Just stories i was told

[@AbbiBerta]

There is indisputable evidence of multiple shell bead manufacturing sites in North America dating to multiple pre-Colombian time periods. I believe she’s most likely referencing glass beads specifically in this video.

[@nashobaoktusha]

Also evidence of bone beads.

[@cfarlow5830]

Thank you for sharing this! Love your dentalium regalia.

[@matokokepa]

I had co-worker who didn't know this. She never knew that Native people didn't know how to bead until Europeans came across the continent trading for furs and meat. I had to explain this very thing to her. She laughed because she never knew. She's younger and I get that a lot of the younger generation don't realize that. Same thing with fry bread. We never had flour until Europeans brought it.

[@lani7951]

The historical record shows many examples of beads before contact. Not glass beads, but shell, bone and stone.

[@meg4684]

Very informative, answered all my questions!

[@Wahcawatoglawin]

Always wearing traditional regalia, strolling the plaza, in Santa fe 😊

[@yaguarete79]

So it's a lot of us who've been asking this question. Finally! Now I'm wondering how didn't I think about that possibility. Thank you for explaining it. Regards!

[@Thorium_Th]

Finally! So it was trading. I always wondered how people without machines would produce tiny 2mm beads :D

[@d3f_b4by79]

I do actually believe some cultures had types of beads they were simply larger. And it takes insane resourcefulness to turn tiny beads into intricate patterns. It’s still indigenous.

[@SirBrackalot]

love this Thank you.....

[@martharousse-pz9hz]

When I was a child we use to dig in the dirt as children do but we found the most beautiful beads really old beads that the Eskimo people would trade to get things they needed for survival I wish I had kept some my Great Grandfather traded alot of stuff with them and it is now at the Smithsonian there was a time he regretted giving it to them cause as usual they capitalize on. The profits money is the most important factor

[@AnahuacX]

In Mexico there are Pre-colonial artifacts that show people wearing beads and decorating objects with beads, I'm not too sure how the indigenous of the North (Untied States) did it.

[@SoldierDrew]

She's speaking from her tribal history but other tribes, like mine, we still make beads the traditional way. Cutting and drilling stones and molding beads from earth. But the glass seeds beads, she's talking about, were non existent til foreign traders brought them.

[@jeffvalliere2185]

Miss you! My mother was Jerri Otis

[@hookukio]

Well we made beads in California...we made clamp disc beads and magnesite cylinder beads. The shells this woman is wearing on her neck are from the northwest coast of California and were traded throughout the plains.

[@SixOhFive]

She’s talking about czech beads

[@msavina9129]

Thank you. ive been wondering about the beads. What I really want to know is, how they heck did natives carve into bone, stone and animal tusks? When I google it, they only show modern techniques. I’ll keep looking. Thank you.

[@rebeccadurbin7628]

my great grandma (osage) married twice, first husband was osage (arranged marriage)-she had kids only by first husband , second husband was white. but lawerence made her beads outta certain type of soil, glass beads. thats how she got her beads

[@isisstar1280]

❤️

[@ceceliathex9924]

I am looking for how to sew dentalium shells to a cape. Can you help me out?

[@Eliasnotafraid]

I thought there would be more info then that 😒

[@Jearrod]

This is just not true 💀

[@crazycoyotie4938]

Most things before industrial man landed in any county waz better but thy brought cheep things that lightened the load.I don't think your ansisters traided for the cotton thread because it was better because sinue is 100% better then any thread incliding the fake sinue you buy from traiding post.

[@jeffvalliere2185]

Cut beads

[@marypopehn7834]

Are you daughter to Margaret??