Details Lakota War Bonnet

By Sarah Cokeley

Years after
Custer's
Last Stand at the
Little Bighorn in 1876,
a Crow scout named
Goes Ahead claimed he
took this war bonnet
off a Lakota Sioux
killed in "the
Custer battle."
The headdress
is now part of the
American History
collection at the
Gilcrease Museum
in Tulsa, Okla.

Honor of the Eagle Strength of the Bison Hue of the Porcupine AgiiityoftheEifi Spirit of the Hawk
Each of the 29 eagle The feather quills are The Lakota perfected A skull cap, custom Hawk feathers and
feathers, which reinforced with thick theart of crafting fitted to the warrior's strips of ermine fur
evoke the majesty bison hide called geometric patterns head, is made from attached at the
of the sacred bird, parfleche, wrapped using flattened and thelight hideof a temples were
denotes an act of with red fabric and dyed porcupine quills. fleet-footed elk or believed to give
bravery by the attached to a skull Woven strands of deer. Gaps between the Lakota warrior
Lakota warrior. His cap with buckskin glass trade beads in the eagle feathers the protective and
name and other strips, creating the this brow band mimic are filled with highly spiritual powers of
details are unknown. bonnet's flared look. that technique. coveted ermine fur. revered animals.

AUGUST 2012 29
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