Among the Anishnabek, these netted charms were initially used to protect infants from colds, illness and evil spirits. The dream catcher originally had a single function of protecting the young. In various forms, the dream catcher is a part of many Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island (North America). After being caught in the web, the bad dreams will disappear with dawn’s first light and the good dreams, now knowing the path, are able to visit again. The spider tells Nokomis that the web is to be hung above her bed, as the web allows good dreams to pass through its centre and catches bad dreams in its silky threads. The spider, grateful to Nokomis for saving her life, rewards the woman by spinning her a magic web. A grandmother, Nokomis, sees that her grandchild is about to kill a spider and she stops him. The Anishnabek (Ojibwe) teaching of the dream catcher is a story of a spider’s protective gift.
