Chewy and Yeti learn all about the dream catcher

_Elsa_

Just as Takoda is about to continue with the legend of the dream catcher, another Native American comes over to say hello. 

“This is Lomasi and she was given her name because she looks like a pretty flower,” says Takoda. “This is Chewy and Yeti who have fallen from the sky. I am sharing our knowledge of the dream catcher. Stay with us and you can let me know if I leave anything out.”

‘Everyone dreams. Psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung have tried to interpret dreams and our subconscious thoughts. Though these modern scientists have provided multiple theories and vast quantities of written analysis, they are by no means the first to have taken on this eternal and elusive subject. 

Dream interpretation has directly influenced Native American cultural and spiritual beliefs for centuries. American Indians believe dreams influence the conscious soul of the dreamer, oftentimes acting as a means for change in personality traits such as confidence, maturity, kindness, and loyalty.

Dreams have always been a fundamental part of Ojibwe culture and have many purposes.

• Prophecies: Dreams can show future events that will affect a tribe or individual person.

• Names: Spiritual leaders can receive the name of a newborn child through dreams.

• Spiritual Strength: Many Ojibwe people pray, meditate, and fast in order to bring on dreams that will give them spiritual guidance during difficult times.

• Symbolism: Dreamers will often see a symbol that has personal meaning to them throughout their lives. Many Ojibwe make a charm to keep with them to remind them of the symbol. Some even take them to the grave when they die for strength in the afterlife.

The Ojibwe people, often referred to by their anglicized name, "Chippewa", so insightfully understood the importance of dreams, especially in children, that they attempted to assist a child’s ability to receive good dreams and filter out dark or negative dreams with the use of a dream catcher.

What is a Dreamcatcher?

Frances Densmore, a renowned ethnographer who dedicated decades of her life to working with many Native American tribes, including the Ojibwe, wrote in her 1929 book, Chippewa Customs, about the longstanding existence of dream catchers: 

Infants were given protective charms in the shape of “spiderwebs” that were hung on the hoop of a cradleboard. Traditionally, two spider webs were hung on the hoop, and it was said that they protected the child from harmful dreams and other dangers passing through the air. 

In other words, a dream catcher would trap the bad dreams that blew freely in the night air and keep them from entering the mind of those it protected.’ (Source) 

“Takoda, can I tell them about the two different legends?” asks Lomasi.  

Takoda tells her to go ahead and share.

Let’s continue - Two Dream Catcher Legends

Start at the beginning – Chewy and Yeti learn all about dream catchers