Among many Plains tribes, elk are important and powerful symbols incorporated into a variety of beliefs, ceremonies, societies, and artistic expressions. For the Lakota, the elk is synonymous with love and courtship. Images of his animal, experienced during a dream or vision, play a significant role in the life of an unmarried individual. To dream of a bull elk is to acquire the special seductive powers of the animal.
Elk Dreamer Society Hand Drum
Unknown
Northern Plains, Lakota
ca. 1910
Wooden cheese container, wooden pegs, rawhide
1983.30.09
On View
