Why Crafting Is Important In Many Cultures

Crafting is important in every culture to define who they are. Many of the ancient cultures crafted the items they used for everyday living. The cave man made his own pots and dishes for cooking and eating. They crafted their own clothing and foot wear, the earliest of tools for whatever uses they needed. They crafted their own weapons, bows and arrows, arrow heads and spear heads to fit the need. Without these weapons they could not hunt to feed their families or protect themselves from predators.

To define a tribe of the American Natives, they crafted headdresses with beads and the designs let other tribes know what tribe they were a part of. The women used beads to decorate their clothing to tell a story about their life and the area where they lived. They used beads to make dolls also, and to adorn the dress the men used in ceremonial pursuits.

Some cultures use clay to craft animals to show power. Many cultures still make baskets, blankets, moccasins and pottery and sell these items to the tourists who come to see how the different cultures lived. This may be the only income for many in underdeveloped areas to be able to feed the family. Much of the crafting that is done by different cultures have been passed down from many generations and is very important to each culture. Most crafting has a story behind each item and that too is told to the generation coming up so the culture and the craft is not lost to modernization.