Fox jaw knife with leather and quill sheath created by Gerald Collogan. 
 
Because the porcupine ("pahin" in Lakota) is native only to the North American continent, quillwork is unique to the Indian Tribes of North America and practiced nowhere else in the world.
 
Before 1840, porcupine quillwork was the primary form of decoration for the majority of the tribes living in the Northern Plains and Great Lakes areas where the porcupine could be found.
 
Quillwork is a meticulous and labor-intensive art. The quills must first be gathered, sorted by size, and dyed by obtaining berries and roots. Then the quills are flattened and attached individually using four basic techniques: wrapping, braiding, or plaiting, sewing, and weaving.
 
With the arrival of the European glass beads from the Old World, quillwork gradually disappeared because beads were so much easier to use.
 
The traditional art of quillwork was revived in the 1960s and continues today.