Hunting & War

Gift of Forrest Bratley

Rabbit sticks were used to stun small game. The stick was thrown, similar to a boomerang, so that the limited quantity of meat on the animal would not be harmed.

Gift of Forrest Bratley

Bone hammers are heavy and are used to crush the bones of large animals so that the marrow can be extracted. Marrow is an excellent source of adiponectin which lowers the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It has a sweet taste and is often added to soups and broths.

This hide scrapper was brought to Oklahoma from Nebraska by Effie Blaine in 1873. Donated by Effie’s grandson Garland Blaine in 2012, this was used by women to remove the fur from bison, elk, and deer hides before being rendered into clothes, blankets, and other material cultural items.

Arthur and Shifra Silberman Collection

This shield is modeled after the shield carrier by Tenbatai before 1875. Shields were used for protection and as personal identifiers. The designs seen on shields were sometimes acquired through dreams or visions, giving the holder supernatural protection. In other instances, the design could be associated with a specific secret warrior or medicine society. They could also be taken and used publicly as war trophies.

Arthur and Shifra Silberman Collection

This shield is a reproduction of another, earlier one, currently in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute. It was originally thought to belong to Hongea, a Kiowa warrior. We now know it belong to Man-On-Clouds, a Cheyenne warrior.

Gift of Forrest Bratley

A powerful weapon used by Indigenous people in the Americas for thousands of years, the Skull Craker war club gets its name for its effect in battle. Some of these war clubs have a flexible top allowing for addtional force to be applied to a strike.

This pipe was presented to Spotted Elk in 1876 as part of a treaty signing. The Museum has the original treaty signed by General George Crook in the Museum’s Dickinson Research Center. Tomahawk pipes, such as this, were often given as gifts and were more political in nature.

Gift of Forrest Bratley

Blunt tipped arrows were used for hunting small game. The blunt tip would stun or kill the animal thus preserving the small amount of meat. Arrows with pointed tips would travel through the animal often puncturing organs or destroying the muscles. Thus, preventing the animal from being edible.

Gift of Mrs. Frank Burford

This arrow incorporates the American flag into its design with dyed blue sinew below the affixed white feathers. Red stripes line the space between the feathers and above the blue sinew.

Gift of Max & Eula Fullerton

The Cherokee syllabary was created by Sequoyah in the late 1810s and is the foundation of the Cherokee language. Sequoyah’s brilliance was that he is only one of a handful or people or cultures ever to create an independent and unique writing system.

Gunstock war clubs was a weapon used by Indigenous people in the eastern woodlands in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The design is based on rifles and muskets. This modern war club was created by Muscogee artist Dan Beaver and is larger than historic gunstock warclubs.