Cheyenne Visions II - Cheyenne Cradle Boards

Used to carry Cheyenne babies, cradleboards are made from beaded leather, lined with soft cloth, and mounted on a wooden backboard. The cradleboard on the right is beaded with horse designs, which suggests that it was made for a little boy.

Cheyenne women used cradleboards to carry their babies while traveling long distances. Cradleboards could be carried like a backpack and leaned against a tree while resting or setting up camp. They were also tied to the saddle horn while traveling on horseback.

"They were made for discipline, we would wrap the baby really tight, by doing so, and he learned not to cry so much."
––Merle Lopez, Cheyenne bead worker, El Reno, Oklahoma

Miniature cradleboards were used by Cheyenne children to carry dolls.

Only a few cradleboards are made by Cheyenne women today. They are used to honor children and announce the arrival of new babies.

"The four cradleboards in the photograph represent the sacred number. The shadow of the cradleboard represents the past, present, and future generations of Cheyenne people. And the red background represents all Cheyenne people."
––Gordon Yellowman, Cheyenne chief and curator of Cheyenne Visions II

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