This medicine rattle was formed from two halves of rawhide, which were wetted and filled with sand to shape it round.

Fighting long ago, before the advent of guns, was typically conducted with bow and arrow or a lance.

Plains Indians believed hair had power.  Hair was added to many items such as lances, war clubs and war shirts.

The pairs of moccasins below are both of men and women. The moccasins of Sioux women have an added cuff to the top to hide the ankles and there is a long buckskin thong to wrap the cuff…

This treaty or calumet pipe from the Mandan tribe was collected by Prince Maximilian of Wied in 1832.

The first owner of the shield pictured below was that of Sits Down Talking, a Miniconjou Sioux.

This Grass Flattening Wand, called "Owanka Onesto" in Lakota, was used to solemnize ground for the Thunder Beings before a celebration.

The Lakota said that when an elk dies, in time everything decays, but the ivories of an elk can still be found intact.

This 20-inch quirt is made from an extra-long top tine of an elk.

This bag was used to carry eating utensils when visiting friends.

This bow and quiver set is made with summer deer hair and is sinew-sewn.

Crow Dog came to notoriety when he shot and killed the Brule chief, Spotted Tail.   

A very personal item is a breechcloth, also called breechclout or loincloth.  These Crazy Horse artifacts were collected by Medicine Journey…

   Blue and red wool broadcloth became popular as a blanket for Lakota Sioux in the 1870s, replacing buffalo robes when herd numbers dwindled.

This Lakota cosmetic bag belonged to Owns a Yellow Shield, a Miniconju Sioux.

Chief Swift Bear was head of the Corn Band of the Brule or Burnt Thigh Sioux.

The carved pipe stem belonged to Chief Hare who was a spiritual leader from the Rosebud Reservation.

In a battle around 1840, a Lakota Sioux killed a Crow warrior and captured his lance with its beaded case as war trophies. 

Before the Sioux came to rely upon hunting of buffalo for their food, they had been farmers in Minnesota.

Such ropes were used as a rein on a horse or to hang a tipi liner.