Driven by economic necessity in the 19th century, the Ojibwe peoples proved astute in producing commodity goods that met European desires. European tastes favored floral designs, which were introduced to Native Americans through their contacts with voyagers, merchants and missionaries. European clothing, domestic furnishings and church decorations provided patterns. Bags, purses, and moccasins decorated with floral designs proved marketable to Victorian consumers and provided their Ojibwe beadworkers with much needed incomes. Nonetheless, Ojibwe women were innovative in their application of floral design. Their beaded designs helped to preserve their own culture by narrating the stories and values of their traditions and by providing a link between the past and the present.

     Earlier techniques of ornamenting clothing, bags and other items with animal quills favored the use of geometric patterns. The introduction of European glass beads eliminated many preparatory steps, including the washing and dyeing of the quills and simultaneously encouraged the use of curvilinear floral designs. Some goods created by Native Americans combined European floral designs with geometric patterns typical of earlier periods.