Dig It - 12/2/22
Well Hello Fellow Seekers!
Today we are going to look at the Fabulous World of Plateau "Flat Bags". The tradition of which dates back, I would guess to at least the mid-19th Century, perhaps even a bit further. However, it reached its highest expression in the late 19th and early 20th century.
What is a flat bag you might well ask? They are basically bags that are flat and whose surface is usually completely covered with beadwork stitched down flat to the surface of the bag. This stitching technique also gives the bag a flat look. The earliest “flat bags” were decorated with abstract floral designs, possibly borrowed from Woodland Indian traditions. By the end of the 19th and early 20th century ladies of the various Plateau tribes were depicting an incredible range of pictorial images.
This bag was made sometime in the very early 20th century. The women depicted on the bag are members of one the many nativistic/revivalistic religions that flourished among the Plateau tribes in the 19th and 20th century and still today. These religious movements combined Indigenous Shamanic visions, dreams, totemic spirits and prophecies with Christian Evangelical teachings. The main aims of these movements was and is healing - the curing of sickness, much of which was foreign in origin, and promoting the overall well-being of the followers. The ceremonies are usually held in a Long House which is the tribal communities' center of cultural identity. On this bag, the female followers are dressed in their Traditional costumes, beaded Fezzes, elk teeth decorated dresses and holding beaded "flat bags" in their right hands. In their left hands one lady holds a bell which is carried by the Ceremony’s leader, the other woman holds an eagle feather, which is an instrument of healing. This wonderful gem of a bag is 8” x 10” with a 5” fringe and is sure to bring its owner health and well-being.