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Cradle with Turtle Navel Amulet
Southern Cheyenne, about 1900
Beads, trade cloth, wood, brass tacks, bells
Gift of Frederick Weygold
1937.68.29

The baby carrier shown here is typical of the lattice cradle design, employing a V-shaped frame common to many Plains tribes. The small, attached turtle-shaped charm is a “navel amulet” which held a small piece of the baby’s umbilical cord. Thought to be a link to the child’s existence before birth, the amulet helped to insure a long life.