nd Maple Sugar. The sugar was then used for trade as wellas to augment the Ojibway diet of wild rice, fish, venison, bear and moosemeat. Ojibway Beadwork In addition to Porcupine Quill work, the Ojibway women were known for their exquisite work with seed beads. "Manido-min-esag" which means "Little spirit seeds, gift of the Manido" is what Anishinabe women called seed beads. The need to have good feelings when one is beading continues today: that these little things were a gift of beauty from the spirits. This floral pattern is an example of the "look" and style of Ojibway bead and quill work. Moccasins, leggings, bandolier bags and aprons were customarily adorned with intricate bead and quill work. With theexception on 20th century ethnographer Francis Densmore, anthropologistshave long ignored native use of "trade" beads in their study of nativesubsistence, craft and ornament. Native women were inspired to inventbeadwork techniques unknown to Europeans, as well as beautiful andsometimes spiritually or historically-inspired culturally unique designs. Ojibway Moccasins The word "Ojibway" is believed to translate as "to pucker". One theroy is that this reference to "puckering up" was originally in relation to the style of moccassins made by the Ojibway. The seams of the moccassin puckered up and thus the Anishinabeg were given this name by neighboring Tribes. However, another old theroy atributes the "puckeredup" reference to the method of torture used by Ojibway warriors aftercapturing enemy Dakota and Iriquois warriors. It was said (probably byEuropeans) that the Ojibway were well known for torturing their captivesby roasting them over...
