Origin:
Dreamcatchers have their origins with the Ojibwe Nation (Native Americans). Only in the 1960s and 1970s were they adopted by various other Nations (tribes) of the Native Americans.
Some see the dreamcatcher as a symbol of unity among different Indian Nations, and a general symbol of identification with Native American or First Nations cultures.
Legend & Beliefs
The Ojibwe Nation has an ancient legend about the origin of the dream catcher. Storytellers told of a spinning woman known as Asibikaashi; she cared for the children and people of the land. In the course of time, as the Ojibwe Nation spread to all corners of North America, it became difficult for Asibikaashi to reach all the children. The mothers and grandmothers therefore wove magical webs for the children. This dream catcher would filter out all bad dreams and allow only good thoughts in.
Then, when the sun rose, all bad dreams would simply disappear.
