Sewing & Survival is a thoroughly researched narrative based on original sources, diaries, personal letters, and other notes highlighting Native American voices. While quilting skills were forced on some women, others came to quilting willingly. Equally compelling is the fact that quilting remains popular in Native communities today, and in fact, quilts are the cornerstone of Indigenous give-away traditions. Makers today have turned their artistic talent to creating gorgeous contemporary art quilts and powerful story quilts that are coveted by museums and collectors. Discover the significance of Star quilts. Read how missionaries swarmed onto Native lands. Understand boarding school “The Hiroshima of Indian education.” Learn regional differences of quilts from the Plains, Seminole, and Hopi cultures. Read about one well-known family and their two Star quilts made 105 years apart. Meet Almira Buffalo Bone forced from her home as a child and sent to boarding school, as an adult she loved to quilt, and her talent was extraordinary. Powerful story quilts by contemporary quilter Susan Hudson share the history, pain, and joy of her culture. Dozens of remarkable historical photos. Over 60 quilts beautifully reproduced.