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Art of the Americas to World War I
Course: Art of the Americas to World War I > Unit 5
Lesson 3: West- Juana Basilia Sitmelelene, Presentation Basket (Chumash)
- War Shirt (Upper Missouri River)
- The power of the bear and the story an American massacre
- Eastern Shoshone: Hide Painting of the Sun Dance, attributed to Cotsiogo (Cadzi Cody)
- Buffalo Robe
- Feathered war bonnet
- Headdress (Cheyenne or Lakota)
- Mató Nájin/Standing Bear, Battle of Little Bighorn
- Two sides of Lakota life on a beaded suitcase
- Custer's Last Stand — from the Lakota perspective
- Paukeigope (Kiowa), Cradleboard
- Carrie Bethel, Basket bowl
- Allan Houser, “Earth Song”
- Brummett Echohawk, An Island of Redbuds on the Cimarron
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The power of the bear and the story an American massacre
The Pawnee necklace, adorned with 34 bear claws and an otter pelt, symbolizes power and protection. Worn by Pawnee Chief Sky Chief, it played a significant role in the last large-scale buffalo hunt and intertribal warfare on the plains. The necklace's history offers a unique glimpse into American history and Pawnee culture. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.
Want to join the conversation?
- The white beads strung between the claws at first appeared to be a later addition, but atin the video they are shown being worn by Sky Chief in a photo from the 1870s. What are they? Much was made of the claws. What are the beads? 2:10(4 votes)
- Hi David, If I remember correctly, the beads are glass and likely European.(7 votes)
- At, Dr. Zucker says "at least 100 people were killed" yet the numbers in the video suggest it was around 1000. Did he mean 1000 or was he being conservative with the numbers? 3:12(2 votes)
- From the author:There are widely varying estimates. I was, as you suggested, being conservative.(6 votes)
- What happened in the american massacre?(3 votes)
- I believe many people died due to them hunting bears and in the process the bears also killed them(4 votes)
- If the bear population was going down why didn't they stop hunting them?(2 votes)
- When one hunts bear, one does not hunt an entire population, but just a single bear at a time. One does not realize that an entire population is going down, just that "there are fewer of those around here than there used to be."
So, you don't stop hunting them,you just go further to find them.(2 votes)
- I’f a chief were to where the bear-claw necklace, would it feel heavy, or hurt the wearer?(1 vote)
- I have not held it, but I did look at it closely in person. I do not think it would be particularly heavy. I do not think it would be painful to wear.(2 votes)
Video transcript
(piano music) - [Steven] We're in the Denver Art Museum looking at this magnificent
Pawnee necklace. Its most striking feature
are 34 large bear claws. - [John] The bear claws come off of what people refer to as a plains grizzly, which some people consider a subspecies that no longer exists on the plains today. - These were massive
bears, they hunted buffalo. Thinking about what must
have gone into the collection of these claws, the hunt of these bears. - Bears are associated
with power and that's specifically why they are being used here. Only the middle three of each front paw of an individual bear is
only six claws per bear were used in the creation of this. It required at least six
bears to create this work. One of the interesting attributes of these claws is not only the size, but also their ivory appearance. - In addition to the bear claws, there is an otter pelt that wraps around over the shoulder and around the breast and then over the other shoulder. - And on the backside of this, you see head of the otter hanging down one side of the shoulder and on the other side you have the tail and on the tail and on the head, there
are beaded elements. - There are parts of this
necklace that are not visible. - Our records state that it's formed from a bear hide that is
rolled to create the u-shape that goes around the neck, but it's also incorporated with cedar and tobacco, which ceremonially brings the prayers and the power into the
piece to activate it. - And the power is protective. - The wearer of this has
the power of the bear to protect their community
from enemies and warfare, as well as from sickness or disease. - So this is a potent
spiritual object and that's one of the reasons that it was being worn by the Pawnee chief,
a man named Sky Chief. - In 1873, Sky Chief led his group of Pawnee on what became the last large-scale buffalo hunt on the plains. - And the last great intertribal
warfare on the plains. - While they were out, there was word that there was Lakota people in the area. At some point, Sky Chief
removed his bear claw necklace thinking that
the Lakota might attack, handed it to his younger brother and told him to take off with it so it did not fall into Lakota hands. - The act of taking the necklace off is making him vulnerable and is putting the necklace above his own life. - That's completely true
and soon after removing the necklace on the hunt, he was skinning a buffalo when the Lakota attacked. In 1873 when this battle occurred, or massacre rather, which became known as the Battle of Massacre Canyon, the Pawnee and Lakota had been at
war for about 40 years. - The politics at this
moment were complicated. The Pawnee had decided to work with the United States government and what the government was seeking was protection as they were moving
westward and specifically, as the Transcontinental
Railroad was being built. - Sky Chief was one of the
great supporters of what was known as the Accommodation
Treaty with the US Army. The Pawnee provided scouts to the US Army and also provided
protection to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Part of this Accommodation Treaty was that the US Army, in exchange
for the Pawnee's help, would provide them protection. Yet during this massive buffalo hunt, only one field agent went with them on the hunt and he immediately escaped as soon as he saw trouble coming. - And the result was horrifying. The historical accounts vary wildly but we're probably on
safe ground when we state that at least a hundred
people were killed. - The Pawnee were massacred. 2/3 of those killed
were women and children. - This moment after the Civil War was the moment when Manifest Destiny, the idea that the United
States was entitled to all of the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific, was being actualized. But of course the issue
here was there were lots of people living in between. - The Pawnee consist of four
distinct political units. After this event, the Pawnee
were moved to Oklahoma, or at the time was known
as Indian territory. - This is such an intimidating necklace. The power of the claw, these long forms that curve under that
look really terrifying, along with the otter express for me the close relationship
between Pawnee's society and the animals that they lived amongst. - Pawnee religion included
an emphasis on what some people refer to as
animal lodge ceremonialism. Animals had particular
attributes and powers that the Pawnee drew upon
for use in their own lives. - And the necklace remains important to the Pawnee people, but it's also an incredible window
into American history. - In February 1998, a
group of Pawnee people came to the Denver Art Museum to visit this necklace and to speak to it. William Riding In, a Pawnee man, said the following prayer to the necklace, "Father, smoke, and take
notice of this smoke. I have clothed you and
placed you upon Mother Earth. Now then, Father, smoke with me. Take pity upon me. Hear my prayers and give long life to him who will hereafter keep you and place you in a
prominent place in his home. Once you were owned by Sky
Chief, a prominent chief. It was through your
power that he was great. I have placed new clothing upon you. Another man will now care for
you and be with you always. Show your powers to him and
make him a good, wise chief and a great man, as you did to the others. May the men of the Bear
Society have long life." (piano music)