"Use the web to help your people reach their goals, making good use of their ideas, dreams and visions.”
—Lakota Dreamcatcher legend

I chose the dreamcatcher as the symbol for AFN because of its poignant ideology and symbolism.

There are many dreamcatcher legends which vary considerably as to how the dreamcatcher came into being and how it “works”. Some catch the good dreams and allow the bad ones to pass through the hole, others just the opposite. Some legends have a mother figure, some use a father figure. The common thread is the web, the circle of life, and the filtering of good and bad ideas and dreams.

The dreamcatcher shown here is based on the following legend (held by most people east of the Mississippi):

“Placed over the bed of a sleeping warrior, the Dreamcatcher ensured a successful campaign the next day. Placed over the bed of a child, it would bring about a peaceful night’s sleep, devoid of troublesome bad dreams.
The colorful beading, leather and feathers of the dreamcatcher would attract all of the night’s dreams and catch them in the sinew webbing. Only the Good dreams could pass through the hole in the web to reach the sleeper. The Bad dreams would remain caught in the webbing until they evaporated with the morning dew.”

This dreamcatcher’s symbolism includes:
• The web and circle of life

• Filtering, focusing and capturing successful methods, dreams and ideas, and the rejection of destructive, nonproductive ideas and methods.

• The yin yang of balance and nature: “Yin yang is the father and mother of change and transformation” (Su-wen). Yang can be defined as active, initiating, moving, spreading out, unfolding, altering, dispersing, loosening, expanding, it is that which changes what is already in existence. Yin is regarded as a force which makes things concrete, materializes; as being completing, confirming, corresponding, solidifying, thickening, organizing, determining.

• Interconnection of people, animals, organizations and ideas all working together towards a common goal.

The dreamcatcher shown here was designed by Mary Suchanek of Dreamcatchers By Design. She made six for AFN to sell as a fundraiser. If you want to purchase one of these special dreamcatchers, please email me. They are $45. They are 8 inches in diameter and contain no animal products except for the feathers. All proceeds go to developing and distributing the Animal Resource Directory. Thank you for your support. You can also order a custom designed dreamcatcher directly from Mary. www.dreamcatchersbydesign.com. Please mentioned that you were referred by Animal Focus Network.

Here are some other legends (source: www.cynaunltd.com)

Ojibwe Dreamcatcher Legend

This is the way the old Ojibwe storytellers say Asi-bi-kaa-shi (Spider Woman) helped Wa-na-boz-hoo bring Grandfather Giizis (Sun) back to the people. To this day, Asibikaashi will build her special lodge before dawn. If you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for her lodge and you will see how she captured the sunrise as the light sparkles on the dew which is gathered there.

Asibikaashi took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so to this day. Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island. When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, to fulfill a prophecy, Asibikaashi had a difficult time making journeys to all those baby cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters and Nokomis (grandmothers) weaved magical webs for the new babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants.

The shape of a circle represents how Giizis travels across the sky. The dream catcher filters out the bad ba-we-dji-ge-win (dreams) and allows only good thoughts to enter into our minds when we are abinooji (asleep). A small hole in the center of the dream catcher is where the good bawadjige may come through. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams will perish.

When we see little Asibikaashi, we should not fear her but instead respect and protect her. In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web connects to the hoop are 8 for Spider Woman's eight legs or 7 for the Seven Prophecies.

It is traditional to place a feather in the center of the dream catcher; it means breath, or air. It is essential for life. In the cradle board, a baby watched the air play with the feather and was happily entertained with the blowing feather. Dream catchers used by adults do not use feathers in the center. The feather of the owl, keeper of wisdom, was kept by the woman. The feather of the eagle, keeper of courage, was kept by the man.

Lakota Dreamcatcher Legend

Long ago when the world was young, an old Lakota spiritual leader was on a high mountain and had a vision. In his vision, Iktomi, the great trickster and teacher of wisdom, appeared to him in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to the old man in a sacred language that only the spiritual leaders of the Lakota could understand.

As he spoke Iktomi took the elder's willow hoop which had feathers, horse hairs, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke of the cycles of life....how we begin as infants and move on to childhood, and then to adulthood. Finally, we go to old age where we must be taken care of once again as infants, thereby completing the life cycle.

Iktomi said, "In each time of life there are many forces and choices made that can affect the harmony of nature, and interfere with the Great Spirit and all of his wonderful teachings." Iktomi gave the web to the Lakota elder and said, "See, the web is a perfect circle but there is a hole in the center of the circle. If you believe in the Great Spirit, the web will catch your good dreams and ideas - - and the bad ones will go through the hole. Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your goals and make good use of your peoples' ideas, dreams and visions."

The Lakota elder passed on his vision to his people and now the Lakota use the dream catcher as the web of their life. It is hung above beds or in homes to sift their dreams and visions. The good of their dreams is captured in the web of life and carried with them...but the evil in their dreams escapes through the center hole, and hold no power over them.

Chippewa Dreamcatcher Legend

"While our children sleep the evil spirits come to terrify even the youngest of them." Then said the Medicine Woman, to each mother in fear, should she lose her child to the evil ones, for they awoke and cried with the knowledge of terrible demons in their eyes. You must weave a spiders web with love from a willow hoop, using nettlestalk cord dyed red with sacred herbs. As you say the sacred words, with each weave you shall weave with only happy thoughts and playful things. Leave in the center an opening, as your open heart, to let only good things pass. Hang from the loop the sacred feathers, in this way the Good Spirit dreams will find their way through the center hole and float down the feathers onto the sleeping ones. The Bad Spirit dreams will get caught in the web and disappear with the morning light. And so they hung this Dreamcatcher over the baby's cradle board. Dreamcatchers are believed to bestow pleasant dreams, good luck, and lifetime harmony.

Dreamcatcher Legend (origin unknown)

Another tale is told of a Shaman who had been very ill and plagued with bad dreams and visions. He slept with a Medicine Wheel hanging above him attempting to make himself well. One night a spider found its way down to the wheel and began to spin a web. In a very short time the web covered the wheel except for a small hole in the center. As if it were intended, an Owl flying above in the dark of night shed a feather which floated down and became caught in the web where it hung from the center hole. As the sun rose the following morning, the Shaman awoke from a peaceful sleep free of bad dreams and his illness was gone. He looked to the Medicine Wheel feeling that this must be the source of his healing and was amazed to see the web and feather hanging from the hole. From that day, the Dreamcatcher was born and used thereafter to protect and guide the Sleeping Ones.