Is there anyone out there with the modeling/texturing/animating skills to tackle this?

I think a reference picture may help.

Pictures of cradleboards across the native American nations: http://gelean.tripod.com/papoose.html

These are generally worn with either backpack style or 'criss cross' style straps, although some nations/tribes have been known to use a single forehead strap, requiring the head to be held on a downward angle, sometimes supplemented with a 'grab strap' or shoulder strap setup as well.

They are designed to go right from floor to back-carry in an instant, enabling the mother to carry her kid at even the great paces set during frantic escapes or long journeys from hunting ground to hunting ground.

*interesting side note: I appear as white as they come (although Im a smidgeon..like 1/5th Apache), and yet my ma' used something similar to the Cheyenne nation cradleboard on me, because they were members of YMCA 'Adventure Guides' (known as Indian Guides back then...1970s) and had to dress 'en costume' for induction ceremonies (which my father helped run at the Ohio camp: Tippecanoe each summer).

Thanks so much for the input Elanthil01. =)

I often forget that not everyone grew up watching Bonanza, Gunsmoke, John Wayne, and all those ridiculously inaccurate black & white westerns of the past like me.

Well, not only that, but when requesting a model, you ALWAYS want to find a reference image yourself. Then, all the potential modeller has to do is click your link and decide if he or she is interested or not. Otherwise, chances are you're going to have them read this, see no picture, and just leave. Unless of course they know what it is, but you always wanna be specific anyway. Just a friendly suggestion and a notification of request etiquette