Crafts of the North American Indians

Crafts of the North American Indians has been, for more than twenty years, a classic
self-study craftsman’s manual of Native American technology. Written by Richard, C.
Schneider, Emeritus Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, it
contains highly detailed information and explanations of indigenous crafts such as
tanning buckskin and furs, rawhide-making, several types of basketry, pottery, and
many others. Fifty pages of beadwork alone are included. Also included are instructions
for making Indian tools such as the crooked knife, primitive drills, and stone axes.
Little-known crafts such as arrowhead flaking, porcupine-quill embroidery, and
birch-bark canoe building are completely discussed. Hundreds of line drawings by the
author amplify the well-written text.

The crafts chosen for this volume are primarily those of the Woodland peoples of
the vicinity of the Great Lakes, but some media are universal on the North American
continent. The intent of the book is to enable today’s student to learn about these
traditional and modern techniques, some of which have almost been lost to modern
people, and others of which have been adapted and altered into contemporary lore.
Not all native crafts can be included in any one volume; those which have been
selected are based on the author’s personal experiences, and thus have been explained
as thoroughly as possible. The language of the text is that of a layman, but details and
insights for the advanced crafter are added as well as a useful bibliography for each
medium, for those who seek additional sources of information.

1972, 325 pages, 7 by 9 format, 330 illustrations. Paper. ISBN 978-0-936984-00-1