Cultural Background - Native Americans

1.) Native American bead work is well known for its beauty.
2.) The key concept is the mathematical symmetry.
3.) A type of symmetry the design is based on is four-fold symmetry.
4.) All of the images are symmetrical.
5.) The four images are Plains Indians Embroidery, Shoshone Beadwork, Pawnee Hide Buffalo Drum, and Navajo Rug.
6.) Reflection symmetry is when one side of an object is identical to the other side.
7.) One example of base four counting is that prayers are often said to the Four Winds.
8.) Four Fold symmetry #3 was commonly used for healing.
9.) Four fold symmetry #4 is shown as a parka decoration. It is used to  make large parkas for "eskimos".
10.) Four Fold symmetry #5 is shown as a bead loom, as a Cartesian Coordinate system.
11.) Native American beadwork was created before Europeans arrived to the Americas.
12.) These designs were used to record messages and events, and also to help with math and also science.