Knife River Earthlodge Virtual Tour
NPS Photograph
War Shield
This war shield would have been used by the leader of the Buffalo Bull Society. The decorations are symbols of his personal medicine or power. Large shields of this type are seen in a number of George Catlin paintings and were used prior to the acquisition of horses. Equestrian warfare amongst the tribes demanded a smaller, less cumbersome shield. These, however, proved to be useless against the white man’s weapons. But because of its protective powers against other tribes, the shield’s attachments were removed and worn in the hair or on the body as an amulet. Shields were, perhaps, the most important possession for a warrior.
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