Sacred Heart Flat Bag

The encounter between Christian missionaries and Native people marked a long and sometimes confrontational shared existence between two distinctly different sacred worlds. This exchange brought about difficult changes and entirely new lifeways for both Native and non-Native people. Jesuit and Catholic missionary involvement with people of the Plateau region dates to the early 1800s. It is not uncommon to find beadwork that combines elements of Catholicism with traditional floral motifs. This beaded handbag displays the “Sacred Heart of Jesus.”