quillwork

thumb|Wyandot people|Huron quillwork moccasin Quillwork is a form of textile embellishment traditionally practiced by Indigenous peoples of North America that employs the quills of porcupines as an aesthetic element. Quills from bird feathers were also occasionally used in quillwork.

==History== thumb|Backside of loomed quillwork collected from an Plains Indians|Upper Missouri tribe by the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition, pre-1804. All natural dyes. Collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum]] Porcupine quillwork is an art form unique to North America. Before the introduction of glass beads, quillwork was a major decorative element used by the peoples who resided in the porcupine's natural habitat, which included indigenous peoples of the Subarctic, Northeastern Woodlands, and Northern Plains. The use of quills in designs spans from Maine to Alaska. Quillworking tools were discovered in Alberta, Canada and date back to the 6th century CE.