Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Alfred Bone Shirt, Sicangu, 1925



7 comments:

  1. Cool photo - Lakota, not Kiowa?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My understanding was Lakota, but hey, I'm no real expert on the Indians (feather, not dot).

      Delete
    2. LL, I did a quick search, and surprise, there is a modern Alfred Bone Shirt among the Lakota who is quite the rabble rouser for indian rights. I wonder if he is a modern relative of the guy in the picture?

      Delete
  2. Maybe.

    The Indians were treated very poorly by the USGOV, which repudiated every treaty, but that usually happens to people when a more 'modern' culture sweeps over it. The successive migrations of Franks, Gauls, Goths, Saxons, etc. In Europe showed us similar patterns. The Romans civilized but couldn't muster the numbers to supplant and were themselves swept aside.

    In the Americas there was all the pressure from collective European migration and the result was a foregone conclusion. BUT there are lessons to be learned, like 'don't lay down your weapons' no matter what they say.

    I'm part Creek (N. Carolina - Andrew Jackson more or less wiped them out) feather indian, but I'm not an expert either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Creek huh. I got a pile of both Choctaw and Cherokee on my mom's side. One of my part Choctaw aunts told me once that in their culture, it's super bad luck if an owl flies inside your house. My thought was, how in the world could an owl get inside your house? A week later, a morning dove flew down the chimney and we had to shoo it out the door. I don't know if that was good or bad luck! I was afraid to ask the aunt!

      Delete
  3. Love when you post these. Although I really like B&W pictures, can you imagine how they would look in color?

    ReplyDelete