Cradleboard

Cradleboard –

The families lovingly carve, and lace with leather thongs the family’s Cradleboard. They are carefully preserved, and handed down in the family for each new child. A Mother had a day’s hard work to do: Digging Corn, Harvesting Corn, Beans, Rice, gathering Acorns, building the fire, and they never left their babies alone. The best method to free her arms, was this early version of the backpack. The Symbols on the Cradleboard are authentic MPTN. The Grandmother offers to carry the Baby, to give her daughter a rest, and the Daughter slides the Cradleboard off her shoulder, and into her loving Mother’s waiting arms. Baby is smiling, greeting Grandmother. Down the hill, the Tribe is cultivating just enough land for needed crops of Corn, Beans and Squash.