Post by gerhard on Aug 26, 2020 13:10:24 GMT -5
I digitized my old photo slides from 1980 and discovered a very rare object that I don't want to withhold from you.
DAKOTA MIWA‘TANI BONE WHISTLE
This photo shows a signal whistle of the Miwa‘tani warrior society, probably Dakota / Lakota. At that time the object was labeled "Whistle of the Dakota Miwatani Society" by the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation.
The whistle consists of a bone from a larger bird, I cannot tell whether it is the wing bone of an eagle. Originally the whistle was made from an eagle's wing bone and decorated with quillwork or glass beads, in later times the bones of other larger birds were also used. They were tied to a leather strap and worn around the neck. By the Miw’tani every member had such a whistle. The peculiarity of the Miwatani people was that they only used so-called pony beads or pound beads with a diameter of about 3.5 mm for decoration. On the whistle shown here, such glass beads can to seen in the colors white, black and light blue or lighter green. They were threaded onto a metal wire and then wrapped on a piece of red cloth that was previously attached to the bone. There is no dating and so the object can probably be estimated to be around 1890.
In this context she gives me a little information about this warrior society:
The Miwa‘tani Society or Hiŋ haŋ suŋ wapaha (who wear the headdress made of owl feathers) was represented by both the Lakota and the Dakota. The best known was the Miwatani’s of the Lakota oyate. They were comparable to the Dog Soldiers (Hōtȃ‘mǐtȃ‘niu) of the Cheyenne as well as those of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arapaho. Along with the Tokala, Kangi yuha, Cante Tinza and Iroka, the society is one of the oldest warrior associations among the Lakota. Originally, they were a major part of the Akičita groups and performed military and police duties. From the second half of the 19th century, the society continuously switched to the civil organizations (the Naca), but still had the privilege of participating in the Akičita campaigns. The reasons for this change cannot be explained and it is believed that there has been a change in their ideals in which the pinning of the sash bearer (Epi yanka yuha or bonnet man) played an important role. AAt that time, the warfare had also become different, because the fight was more and more characterized by the use of firearms that had ever greater firepower and speed. A warrior who was pegged to a leather sash and was not allowed to free himself was a great target for an enemy warrior with a rifle that was modern at the time (Springfield carbine, Henry or Winchester). Times changed and the old way of gaining high honors by hitting your enemy with a stick and shaming them by doing so began to disappear. Facing the American military in this way was tantamount to a suicide squad. There was no shortage of boys and ardent men who had the urge to prove their deeds on campaigns. As a result of their actions, the age structure of the society increased, which rose dramatically at the beginning of the reservation period. The ethnologist Clark Wissler also classified the Miwa’tani in the category of Chiefs Society’s. In many Ledger-Book drawings and some Lakota historians, the sash bearer or bonnet men are depicted again and again, be it that the artist himself was a member of this association. Most impressive is the graphic depictions of the battle of the Greasy Grass River by the Minneconjou warrior Red Horse, who portrayed himself as a sash bearer in his Ledger-Book drawings in the Battle of the LBH.
Miwatani, Black Hawk (Itázipčho)
Miwatani, Red Horse Ledger (Minneconjou)
DAKOTA MIWA‘TANI BONE WHISTLE
This photo shows a signal whistle of the Miwa‘tani warrior society, probably Dakota / Lakota. At that time the object was labeled "Whistle of the Dakota Miwatani Society" by the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation.
The whistle consists of a bone from a larger bird, I cannot tell whether it is the wing bone of an eagle. Originally the whistle was made from an eagle's wing bone and decorated with quillwork or glass beads, in later times the bones of other larger birds were also used. They were tied to a leather strap and worn around the neck. By the Miw’tani every member had such a whistle. The peculiarity of the Miwatani people was that they only used so-called pony beads or pound beads with a diameter of about 3.5 mm for decoration. On the whistle shown here, such glass beads can to seen in the colors white, black and light blue or lighter green. They were threaded onto a metal wire and then wrapped on a piece of red cloth that was previously attached to the bone. There is no dating and so the object can probably be estimated to be around 1890.
In this context she gives me a little information about this warrior society:
The Miwa‘tani Society or Hiŋ haŋ suŋ wapaha (who wear the headdress made of owl feathers) was represented by both the Lakota and the Dakota. The best known was the Miwatani’s of the Lakota oyate. They were comparable to the Dog Soldiers (Hōtȃ‘mǐtȃ‘niu) of the Cheyenne as well as those of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arapaho. Along with the Tokala, Kangi yuha, Cante Tinza and Iroka, the society is one of the oldest warrior associations among the Lakota. Originally, they were a major part of the Akičita groups and performed military and police duties. From the second half of the 19th century, the society continuously switched to the civil organizations (the Naca), but still had the privilege of participating in the Akičita campaigns. The reasons for this change cannot be explained and it is believed that there has been a change in their ideals in which the pinning of the sash bearer (Epi yanka yuha or bonnet man) played an important role. AAt that time, the warfare had also become different, because the fight was more and more characterized by the use of firearms that had ever greater firepower and speed. A warrior who was pegged to a leather sash and was not allowed to free himself was a great target for an enemy warrior with a rifle that was modern at the time (Springfield carbine, Henry or Winchester). Times changed and the old way of gaining high honors by hitting your enemy with a stick and shaming them by doing so began to disappear. Facing the American military in this way was tantamount to a suicide squad. There was no shortage of boys and ardent men who had the urge to prove their deeds on campaigns. As a result of their actions, the age structure of the society increased, which rose dramatically at the beginning of the reservation period. The ethnologist Clark Wissler also classified the Miwa’tani in the category of Chiefs Society’s. In many Ledger-Book drawings and some Lakota historians, the sash bearer or bonnet men are depicted again and again, be it that the artist himself was a member of this association. Most impressive is the graphic depictions of the battle of the Greasy Grass River by the Minneconjou warrior Red Horse, who portrayed himself as a sash bearer in his Ledger-Book drawings in the Battle of the LBH.
Miwatani, Black Hawk (Itázipčho)
Miwatani, Red Horse Ledger (Minneconjou)