The Native American culture is rich with symbolism and complex meaning behind the crafts and objects they created. In fact there isn’t much that they didn’t make that didn’t have some sort of symbolic meaning associated with it. So when it comes to symbolic Native American craft projects, there aren’t many of them you can make without exploring the symbolic nature behind them.
1. Kachina Dolls- In earlier history of Native American tribes families, clans, and tribes would join together for protection against dangers that surrounded them. In order to establish lines of communication with powerful unknown spirits the Native American people create symbols with human and spiritual qualities to help with protecting their families. Kachinas are the spirits that come to visit to assist in during the growing season and have several different functions. There are earth spirits, sky spirits, sun spirits, sun, cloud, birds, animal spirits, etc. The major concerns that Kachinas deal with are the rain, a rich harvest, good health, fertility, longevity, and to basically help achieve balance and harmony in nature. It is thought that there are over 300 different Kachinas, and maybe more.