Chief Takes the Gun was a Hunkpapa Sioux living in the area of Fort Yates in North Dakota. He was born in 1820 and his Lakota name was Mazakan Wicqki. On the 1885 Standing Rock Reservation ration list, it was noted that he still had five lodges and twenty-six people in his care. During his warrior years, he carried this stone war club to count coup on enemies.

After being selected as chief in the 1860s, Takes the Gun's wife used her tipi panel insignia and added nine pieces of hide to make a sash 5 feet, 8 inches long and 14 inches wide. It was tied to the lifting ornament when the tipi was erected and hung down the back of the tipi. It was embellished with punched-out serrations along the edge and decorated with tin cones with hackle fluffs and porcupine quilled tipi dangles.