I chose to do my Four Views Project on the bandolier bag or the “Aazhooningwa’on,” which translates to “worn across the shoulder” in the Ojibwe language. They were large bags with an eye-catching design along with their versatile use in Indigenous culture. The designs on the bags were seen as meaningful patterns and vibrant colors. These artifacts were primarily crafted and designed by the women in the tribes. Women could bead and thread the bags with certain techniques that allowed them to express themselves, which I thought was neat. They were usually woven from cloth that they received from trading other items. There is one specific bag that is located in the National Museum of the American Indian that is made with an animal hide, which shows how Indigenous communities were resourceful. Along with being resourceful, their creative and artistic abilities helped these bags become highly demanded products within the communities. Even though women were the ones who produced these artifacts, they were mainly worn by men. As these bags grew to become more popular, the Great Lakes Region and the area East of the Mississippi River started to use them more commonly. However, “Due to events and laws like the Indian Removal Act of 1830 (signed by President Andrew Jackson), the Lenape were forcibly removed from these ancestral lands and relocated to areas of Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada” (Kilroy Ewbank 1). After the bags were discovered by other tribes, “the stylistic differences [became] [a] result of personal preference and contact with Europeans and Euro-Americans along with goods acquired in trade, and travel” (Smarthistory 1). Coming into contact with foreigners and having them produce their own version of the Indigenous artifact proved that the bandolier bag was a practical tool. Since the bags had such versatile use, it became an impactful part of Native American History.
After researching the bandolier bag, I wanted to see/ feel one in real life just to see the quality of it. I have always really enjoyed learning about older antiques since they have so much significant meaning behind them. From what I have read, it seems like these artifacts are carefully crafted so that they are durable and stylish. That reminds me of what designer clothes are seen as today since they are often crafted from animal furs and other similar materials such as beads or pins. Along with that, they can be crazy patterns or designs as well. Some women would design the patterns to their own liking “through a variety of techniques, such as loom-beading and spot-stitching” (Milwaukee Public Museum 1). Loom-beading is when a wooden loom is used to form the bags, and spot-stitching is when the beads are strung through one thread then laid into place. Fashion really catches my interest because it is a creative aspect of society that has been around for a long time. Seeing how Native Americans viewed their own style is just fascinating since everyone’s mind has different tastes in how they want to be viewed. Along with that, researching how fashion has evolved over time really caused me to be intrigued to learn more about this artifact. Since these artifacts were first used in the mid-1800’s, and are still used today, it can be assumed that the bandolier bags have aged well. While researching, I had a tougher time finding out where the bags were still used. However, as I was reading many different sources, they all similarly explained that they were still used for ceremonial purposes. That makes me wonder what the bags are used for during those ceremonies besides for style.
Where Native American artifacts are placed is a tough topic to have a “right” opinion on. On one side some believe that artifacts should be preserved in a controlled environment, while others believe that they should stay in their homelands. They both have their pros and cons that complement each other, which makes it even more of a debate. Native American artifacts were scattered throughout the U.S. overtime, so that technically makes them available to whoever discovers them. If a non-Native entity finds a document/ artifact, I do believe that they should turn it into a native museum/ organization after publishing it in a digital collection. Some may say that some Indigenous artifacts were sacred, which is true , but it is a part of history and I believe people benefit from learning about history. However, if an archive or library were to encounter a Native artifact, then I do not believe they should be able to hold onto it. Highly funded museums will go through the process of making sure that all Indigenous artifacts are taken care of. While archives and libraries would protect the artifact to an extent, they would not be as attentive to it as a museum would. Museums main jobs are to preserve items, while libraries main jobs is to educate the public.
Bandolier bags were not only fashionable artifacts to the tribes, but they also served great purpose as well in carrying ammunition. Now that the bags are not needed for carrying ammunition, Indigenous cultures can use them for their meaningful ceremonies. The bags have allowed modern society to learn a great amount of knowledge about Native American History. I think it is interesting how the bags originated in the Great Lakes Region, and slowly spread all across the country. Tribes all over the lands were crafting their own so they could have their own legacy within the culture. Every single bag is significant in their own way since they each come from a different user or tribe. These artifacts being in museums and digital collections has played a massive role in educating modern historians about the artifact. I really enjoyed learning about this Native American artifact since it shows how Indigenous people expressed themselves. I understand that they expressed themselves in other manners as well, but this way was the most interesting to me. It allowed them to craft their own significant piece of art in a simple yet effective way.
Works Cited
“Bandolier Bag Collection.” Milwaukee Public Museum, www.mpm.edu/research-collections/anthropology/online-collections-research/bandolier-bag-collection. Accessed 1 June 2024.
“Bandolier Bag.” Smarthistory Bandolier Bag Comments, smarthistory.org/bandolier-bag/. Accessed 1 June 2024.
Kilroy-Ewbank, Lauren. “Bandolier Bag (Article).” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/indigenous-americas-apah/north-america-apah/a/bandolier-bag#:~:text=While%20bandolier%20bags%20were%20made%20by%20different%20tribes,and%20Euro-Americans%2C%20goods%20acquired%20in%20trade%2C%20and%20travel. Accessed 1 June 2024.