Color image of a pair of beaded Dakota-Metis half leggings, probably from the Red River region of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba, made in the mid 1800s

Half leggings

A pair of beaded Dakota-Metis half leggings, probably from the Red River region of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba, made in the mid 1800s. The leggings are beaded on their front faces with a series of standalone fantasy floral and double-curved motifs typical of Dakota-Metis (as well as Santee Dakota and some Crow) beadwork decoration. Each legging is bordered in a beaded checkerboard motif.

Color image of a beaded wall pocket made by Dakota Indians. Collected at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

Dakota beaded wall pocket

Beaded wall pocket made by Dakota Indians. Collected at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

Color image of a pair of Lakota hide trousers with extensive bead and quillwork decoration. Made with a combination of machine and hand sewing. Collected at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, c.1900.

Lakota man's trousers

A pair of Lakota trousers made of hide with extensive bead and quillwork decoration. Made with a combination of machine and hand sewing. Collected at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, c.1900.

Color image of a Dakota leather pouch with lane-stitched geometric beadwork made in the nineteenth century.

Dakota beaded leather pouch

Dakota leather pouch with lane-stitched geometric beadwork made in the 1800s.

Color image of a sample card of glass seed beads sold at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in Onamia between 1920 and 1959.

Sample card of glass seed beads

Sample card of glass seed beads sold at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post in Onamia between 1920 and 1959.

Beaded bag made by Margeurite Metivier (Dakota), ca.1860.

Dakota beaded bag

Beaded bag made by Margeurite Metivier (Dakota), ca.1860.

Color image of a Dakota loom frame or heddle with wooden bars, early-to-mid 1800s.

Dakota wood loom frame

A Dakota loom frame or heddle with wooden bars, early-to-mid 1800s.

Colorized picture postcard featuring a Dakota woman making beadwork, c.1930.

Dakota woman making beadwork

Colorized picture postcard featuring a Dakota woman making beadwork, c.1930.

Color image of Dakota band with loomed, geometric beadwork, c.1890.

Dakota beadwork band

Dakota band with loomed, geometric beadwork, c.1890.

Evolution of Dakota Beadwork

Dakota people in what is now Minnesota began using glass beads to decorate clothing, bags, and household items in the mid-nineteenth century. The practice both reinforced and transformed Dakota art, allowing Native artists to preserve a creative tradition that continues in the twenty-first century.

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