Feather dance bustles in combat

[carlo]

I am looking for visual evidence (ie. drawings, pictographs, etc.) that Lakota warriors may have worn tail feather dance bustles in combat.

It might not make sense to do so, but it seems such dance bustles were possibly seen as more than just dance regalia by some. This notion comes from Crow oral history, which tells that four of the eight dance bustles of the Hot Dance (the Crow version of the Grass Dance) were war trophies captured in three seperate fights with the Lakotas. These encounters likely took place between ca. 1860 and 1875. The Hot/Grass Dance was introduced to the Crows in 1883 or 1884.

I remember seeing one or more Lakota drawings of men with tail feather dance bustles in combat situations, but can't find any in my files unfortunately. 

[grahamew]

Jaw, Hunkpapa


Unidentified artist - probably Miniconjou or Oglala


Skunk (Young Skunk, the Oglala?)


Goodwyn Ledger, made during the sojourn in Canada


Red Hawk ledger, Oglala


Unidentified Lakota - likely Sicangu. Formerly in the Vincent Price collection; currently on the Donald Ellis Gallery site, but sold...


Bad Heart Bull


Kicking Bear


Unidentified - pretty sure this is Sicangu and part of it at least shows the 1873 rout of the Pawnee - though possibly Little Wound's Oglala at the same event, as there was a Yellow Wolf in his band


As above - from collections.smvk.se/carlotta-em/web/object/1067012


Tipi liner by Pretty Hawk, Yankton

[Historian]

Willie Holy Frog - Oglala Lakota - 1901


Comes Out Holy - Oglala Lakota - 1904

[carlo]

Thank you, these are just brilliant!
More than I could have imagined—seems to support the notion that wearing these in combat was quite common actually. Makes me think the bustles were initially not intended for dancing perhaps.

[grahamew]

I was looking at some Northern Cheyenne drawings, thinking I might find bustles being used in battle there, but so far, that's not the case, which is kind of odd because fashions/fads spread among the tribes - like breastplates, hairplates, pectoral crosses, the wearing of unform jackets etc

[carlo]

Thanks Grahame.
It’s interesting to note that, according to Crow oral history, the Crows had no idea what the dance bustles were when they took them off the Lakotas in three different instances.

[grahamew]

Do you think it's fair to say that when we see Lakota drawings/paintings of men in battle, the wearing of these bustles are not necessarily tied in to society membership? From what I can work out it was only Omaha and Crow owners that had the bustle as a badge of office, yet they seem quite common in drawings.

[carlo]

Indeed, seems like it was more 'fashion' related.