The Indian Cradleboard is a gorgeous southwest decor item.
    A part of everyday tribal life, the cradleboard was thought of in different ways by those that used them.  Naturally, the utility of the board could not be overlooked.  It served as a means to keep the baby safe and allow the mother to travel or work with the board on her back.  Typically, the cradleboard was carried by the mother on her back with webbing or a ribbon around her forehead and fastened to the cradleboard on the sides at about the child’s shoulder level.  There is further evidence that suggests the tightly wrapped infant who could be on the cradleboard for up to two years was being instructed in tribal discipline where calmness and quiet were often required much the same as swaddling an infant in other cultures is used.  But as could be expected, a spiritual connotation was also applied. In the construction of the cradleboard, the father paid close attention to detail in his craftsmanship so as to not bring any unwanted spiritual curses on the baby.  New life in the tribe was revered and much value placed on the child.  Depending on the tribal construction of the board, (it varies depending on the region) spiritual significance was placed on each construction piece.  Despite differences in actual construction, most boards are quite similar.  Back board ,animal skin wrapped, foot rest and buckskin laces are almost universal.  In the Southwest and extending to the Northwest (excluding coastal areas) the cradleboard included a hood or shading device quite often made of animal fur.  Actual materials differed due to geography but all components generally represented something spiritual in their world.  In the construction, it was a symbol of the love for the child.  
    Cradleboards were stuffed with dry moss or cattail down to insulate and provide an easy way to “change the baby”.  When soiled, the insulation was cleaned out and replaced with new.  As mentioned, the instructional aspect of being swaddled in a cradleboard, while widely accepted even in many cultures today, was viewed by the first White contacts (quite often missionaries) as undesirable treatment of infants and further reasoning to remove members of the tribe to distant boarding houses where the Indians could be “re-educated”.  While this rigid ideology was not the sole reason for relocation, this added to the justification of the White intervention.
    Today in southwest decorating, the cradleboard offers an attractive way to enhance the overall look and feeling of authenticity.  Native American décor mixes very pleasingly with southwest décor.  The colors being made of natural fibers are warm, engaging and create the image of a time past while bringing life to a portion of your room.   As for personal experience, our cradleboard is often a focal point of interest from visitors to our home and frequently stimulates interesting conversation.  Along with other such accents, the cradleboard rounds out and finishes the overall look of Southwest interiors.