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 | | Subject: Native American Wedding Bands Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:10 am | |
| Native American Wedding Bands
Tribal customs are diverse and highly spiritual.
Native American wedding bands are rich in spiritual and cultural symbolism and make lovely symbols of a couple's love for one another.
Native American Jewelry
Because Native American tribes did not typically smelt metal for jewelry, wedding rings are not an ancient custom for many native peoples. On the other hand, jewelry and adornments have always been popular for ceremonial purposes, and it is a natural extension then to incorporate native symbolism into wedding bands. Heavy symbolism can include tribal distinctions, geographic elements, and personal symbols as well to make the rings especially meaningful and to honor the couple's heritage and cultural connections.
About Native American Symbolism
From South America to Alaska, Native American tribes have several common connections that are prevalent in the symbols used for their jewelry, including:
Animals: Many Native American tribes deified animals, both as personal protectors and as providers for the tribe. Totem animals and other symbolic creatures are often incorporated into tribal jewelry. Wolves, horses, and eagles are especially popular, but any animal could have a significant connection depending on the tribe and the individual the jewelry is fashioned for.
Plants: Just as animals are sacred to native tribes, so too are plants. Many ring designs incorporate leaf or flower motifs as well as trees and full landscapes including waterfalls, waves, mountains, cliffs, or other natural features. This also symbolizes the land that is sacred to the tribe and keeps the ring's wearer connected to that land wherever they may be.
Gems: Certain gemstones, particularly turquoise, opal, jade, and onyx, are especially sacred to many native tribes. Using these types of semi-precious gemstones in Native American wedding rings makes them not only beautiful, but even more culturally significant.  | |
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