Ivan Knife, Lakota - Rosebud, S.D.
Quill Medicine Wheel Bracelets

About Porcupine Quill Work

Porcupine quill work is one of the oldest, and fastest disappearing, traditional Native American art forms. The Great Lakes and Plains Indians lived in the range of the porcupine and utilized the quills to decorate moccasins, sheaths, baskets, pipe stems and more. A porcupine was not sacrificed to obtain the quills, instead the women of the tribe would throw a blanket over an unsuspecting porcupine who would release the quills as a defense and leave them in the blanket.

The quills are cleaned and dyed with plant origin colors such as buffalo berry for red, sunflower or cone flower for yellow, and wild grapes for black. Once dry, they are oiled so they wouldn't become brittle and shatter when sewing them.

Beading began replacing quillwork in the early 1800s and today there are only a few artists that carry on the traditionof working with porcupine quills.