As he spoke, Iktomi, the spider, took the elder's willow hoop that had feathers, horse hair, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life and how we begin our lives as infants and we move on to childhood, and then to adulthood. Finally, we go to old age, where we must be taken care of as infants, completing the cycle. All the while the spider spoke, he continued to weave his web starting from the outside and working towards the center.
When Iktomi finished speaking, her gave Lakota elder the web and said, "See, the web is a perfect circle but there is a hole in the center of the circle."
He said, "Use the web to help yourself and your people to reach your goals and make good use of your people's ideas, dreams and visions. If you believe in the Great Spirit, the web will catch your good ideas and the bad ones will go through the hole."
It is hung above their beds or in their home to sift their dreams and visions. They believe that the dream catcher holds the destiny of their future. |
