How did native Americans use embroidery?

Answer 1

That depends on what you mean by "embroidery". The literal English meaning is sewing coloured silks, wools or other threads to a linen backing, exactly how the Bayeux tapestry was made - native Americans simply did not do that kind of embroidery.

In North America they often used flattened and dyed porcupine quills stitched to tanned leather garments or bark containers using animal sinew threads. The quills were sorted by size and used according to the area to be covered; then they were soaked in water to make them supple before being dyed with vegetable dyes that produced yellow, orange, red and pale greens and blues.

Other embroidery-style decoration was made with moosehair and shells before glass beads became available from white people. Some of the mossehair decoration was applied as "false embroidery" where it really forms part of a woven construction rather than being applied afterwards.