Ritual & Ceremony
Rituals and ceremonies are an essential part of any society. In Native American cultures, ceremonial gatherings were associated with hunting, harvesting, war, religious practices, and courtships.
Each geographic region produced distinctive items including headgear, masks, dance sticks, rattles, pipes, and drums. The style and use of these items depended on the availability of materials in each region and the nature of their use in a specific ceremony.
Today, many of these items are still used and represent a celebration of cultural heritage and continued traditions.
Objects
![Otter Turban](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2000.37.096.jpg)
Otter Turban
Southern Plains
![Prayer or Peyote Fan](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/74.14.1.jpg)
Prayer or Peyote Fan
Southern Plains
![Ring-necked Pheasant Feather Headdress](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1983.07.01.jpg)
Ring-necked Pheasant Feather Headdress
Northern Plains, Lakota
![Pipe Bowl, Stem](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/H.58.5.jpg)
Pipe Bowl, Stem
Northern Plains, Lakota
![Darth Vader Beaded Helmet](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2021.18.jpg)
Darth Vader Beaded Helmet
Álvaro Ortiz López-Puwari
Mexico, Huichol
![Hok Hok Mask](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/img_0680.jpg)
Hok Hok Mask
Richard Hunt
Northwest, Kwakwaka’wakw
![Split Horn Headdress](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/img_0687.jpg)
Split Horn Headdress
Northern Plains, Blackfeet
![Rattle](/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1996.27.1328.jpg)
Rattle
Southern Plains, Possibly Kiowa
![Mirror Board Dance Stick](/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2007.12.jpg)
Mirror Board Dance Stick
Great Lakes, Chippewa
![Tablita](/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2000.37.90.jpg)
Tablita
Southwest, Hopi
![Gourd or Peyote Rattle](/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1996.27.1324.jpg)
Gourd or Peyote Rattle
Southern Plains, Possibly Kiowa
![Elk Dreamer Society Hand Drum](/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1983.30.09.jpg)
Elk Dreamer Society Hand Drum
Northern Plains, Lakota
![Horse Dance Stick](/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1983.06.6-scaled.jpg)
Horse Dance Stick
Northern Plains, Lakota