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
Southern Plains

Prayer or Peyote Fan
Southern Plains

Ring-necked Pheasant Feather Headdress
Northern Plains, Lakota

Pipe Bowl, Stem
Northern Plains, Lakota

Darth Vader Beaded Helmet
Álvaro Ortiz López-Puwari
Mexico, Huichol

Hok Hok Mask
Richard Hunt
Northwest, Kwakwaka’wakw

Split Horn Headdress
Northern Plains, Blackfeet

Rattle
Southern Plains, Possibly Kiowa

Mirror Board Dance Stick
Great Lakes, Chippewa

Tablita
Southwest, Hopi

Gourd or Peyote Rattle
Southern Plains, Possibly Kiowa

Elk Dreamer Society Hand Drum
Northern Plains, Lakota

Horse Dance Stick
Northern Plains, Lakota