The Math of Native American Dreamcatchers

This activity weaves beautiful Native American Indian tradition with mathematics. The first dream catchers were crafted by the Ojibwe (Chippewa) tribe. Legend tells of a “spider woman” named Asibikaashi whose magical web had the power to trap the Sun. Dream catchers were traditionally hung above sleeping babies to catch bad dreams and let only good dreams pass through to the child. Later, the bad dreams would disappear when the first rays of sunlight struck the web. When the native Ojibwe nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, Asibikaashi found it hard to share her webs with everyone who wanted one. So, mothers, sisters, and grandmothers started creating their own webs using flexible hoops made from willow branches. Traditional dream catchers have 8 holes along the outer rim to represent a spider’s 8 legs. Today, many different Native American Indian tribes make dream catchers in a wide variety of styles.