Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwa Nation the Clans were all located in one general area known as Turtle Island. Spider Woman was kept busy weaving little dream catchers on the tops of cradle boards to ensure the babies a peaceful slumber. Bad dreaas stuck into the spider web-like weaving, unable to go any further, while the good dreams found their way through the openings to the visions of the dreamer. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish.
When the Ojibwa Nation dispersed to the 4 corners of the world, spider woman had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, and grandmothers took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants.
Now, the Dreamcatcher is hung above a sleeping area in a place where the morning light can hit it. The nature of the Dreamcatcher will attract all sorts of dreams to its webs. When bad dreams come, they do not know the way through the web and get caught in the webbing where the first light of day causes them to melt away and perish. The good dreams, knowing the way, go through the center of the web and slide down the feather to the sleeper below.
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