A Brief History of Bone Beads

Bone beads are among the earliest know beads. Before Europeans brought glass beads to North America, Native Americans used an assortment of organic beads, such as bone for trade and adornment. Bone beads are truly made of animal bone.  Animals however are not destroyed for bone beads, rather, bone beads are a by-product when animal meat is used for consumption.  Early Tribal Indians believed it was wrong and wasteful not to use all parts of an animal that they hunted.  Both hides and bones were cleaned and used by these tribes.