Dream catcher (Native American)

Naser Alajmi

In Ojibwa culture, a dreamcatcher (or dream catcher; Ojibwe asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for "spider" or bawaajige nagwaagan meaning "dream snare") is a handmade object based on a willow hoop, on which is woven a loose net or web. The dreamcatcher is then decorated with personal and sacred items such as feathers and beads.Traditionally, the Ojibwa construct dreamcatchers by tying sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame of willow. it is used as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The Ojibwa believe that a dreamcatcher changes a person's dreams.they say only good dreams would be allowed to filter through . . . Bad dreams would stay in the net, disappearing with the light of day. Also good dreams pass through the center hole to the sleeping person. The bad dreams are trapped in the web, where they perish in the light of dawn.