Siyo     I had a cradleboard when a baby...long long ago.... so its a bit tattered and raggedy now but I can tell you a bit about it.

 Mine was a large one  as my older siblings  had used it before me, but it had been all redone new. Being the youngest of 10 children I feel we probley wore out a few,

     Since it was a larger one, it could be used for a longer time before baby outgrew it.

     It was constructed of wood base...covered with white leather and then there would be a cotton filled quilt  attached to this...and another one sown togeather into a cocoon shape to put baby in...plus another one to cover it if need be. The sides of  white leather was also lined in cotton quilted materials. and  tied at top after baby was placed inside it all.

    There was a roll bar of some sort that was also covered in the leather and beaded also. Mine didnt have lots of beads as there wasnt much to decorate with but there was all kinds of knit lace and  a few big bright   beads for baby to look at.  

  Lots of love went into this, I am sure........hugs Annie 

 

 

 

 

wado this information does help quite a bit with some other little info that I found. Do know that what you call the roll bar is done with a piece of willow did find that out today from friend. Your indormation helps much and now I can see image in mind.

 

Do you know if certain designs used for boys and different for the girls. One person spoke of this, but I do not know if all tribes did this or not.

 

Thank you for you time to answer my inquiry, Respect to you and sending up tobacco and sage for you also

 

  I feel that different tribes may have made different decoration on them for boy or girl . Most tribes made them to look different plus there was many different ways and sizes of them too   As for the bar, it is made from a wood that bends easy when soaked in water for a long time and when it dries, it then becomes stiff  again to hold the material up and baby in.   hugs annie

siyo

 

Yes some tribes did use beading patterns to denote male or female child

 

Plains tribe would sometimes use the childs umbilical cord as a necklace with a different charm to denote sex of child.

 

Not all tribes used the Cradleboard, some would use a sling with the child in it