Unknown Maker, Native North American

In many Plains Indian cultures after a child's birth its umbilical cord was dried and saved as a link between the child's life in the womb and after birth. The cord was sewn into a pouch, often in the shape of a turtle for a girl or a lizard for boy. This navel amulet became the baby's first toy and remained with the child as a charm to protect it and ensure a long life.

By taking the form of a turtle the navel amulet was imbued with its protective power. In many Plains Indian creation legends while the world was still covered with water, the first human life entered supported on the back of a turtle, when the first dry-land mass was created. Because of its important role in the creation of the world, the turtle is closely associated with "mother earth" and was thought to provide protection during birth and infancy. The symbol of the turtle was often used on objects related to childhood or women's clothing, as in the baby carrier exhibited in this case where the beaded design representing the turtle or the four corners of the earth is on either side of the hood. These soft carriers were used by some tribes of the Central Plains and were carried by the mother or could be attached to a stiff board for travel. The cloth skirting would wrap around the child and be secured with straps.