headdress with leather cap/headpiece with beaded band around front top with white beads with two lines of blue triangles, two red bars and two lines of red and orange triangles at either end; long red wool strips at each side of headdress, backed with buffalo hide; brown and cream eagle feathers overall; some feathers at top have light brown horsehair strands attached to ends; eagle feather at center back accented with bright red and bright purple feathers; images of cows' heads drawn on leather beneath feathers on crown of head

Headdress, late 19th-early 20th century

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On View in Gallery 261expand_more

A Tsistsistas or Lakȟóta artist created this headdress, which symbolizes power, leadership, and generosity. Jack L. Garcia, who donated the headdress to Mia in the same spirit of Lakȟóta generosity, was a great-grandson of two Oglála Lakȟóta leaders: Śuŋgmánitu Háŋska (Long Wolf) and Čhetáŋ Lúta (Red Hawk). In 1874, the United States government discovered gold in the Black Hills and broke its treaty with the Lakȟóta, initiating hostilities. Both of Garcia’s forebears fought against and defeated General George Custer and his army in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. At the installation of this headdress, a Lakȟóta medicine man blessed the object with Garcia’s family in attendance.

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Details
Title
Headdress
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2015.6
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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headdress with leather cap/headpiece with beaded band around front top with white beads with two lines of blue triangles, two red bars and two lines of red and orange triangles at either end; long red wool strips at each side of headdress, backed with buffalo hide; brown and cream eagle feathers overall; some feathers at top have light brown horsehair strands attached to ends; eagle feather at center back accented with bright red and bright purple feathers; images of cows' heads drawn on leather beneath feathers on crown of head