Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

SACRED BUFFALO STONE

Date Range From

1880

Date Range To

1900

Materials

"BUFFALO STONE", BUCKSKIN, ERMINE SKIN

No. Pieces

1

Height

2.2

Length

7.6

Width

3.2

Description

BUFFALO STONE, SUSPENDED IN A FRINGED BUCKSKIN CASE & BUCKSKIN NECK THONG. NECK THONG TRIMMED WITH ERMINE SKIN.

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

ADORNMENT

Historical Association

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

NORTHERN PLAINS INDIGENOUS CULTURE, LIKELY OF BLACKFOOT ORIGIN. CHARMS OF THIS SORT WERE USED FOR VARIOUS FORMS OF PROTECTIVE MAGIC. THIS BUFFALO STONE PROVIDED THE WEARER WITH SUFFICIENT "POWER" TO BECOME A GOOD BUFFALO HUNTER. 22 OCTOBER 2021 UPDATE: THE LABEL TEXT QUOTED BELOW WAS DEVELOPED WITH KAINAI ELDERS FOR A SUB-THEME WITHIN THE EXHIBIT ‘MADE IN’, TITLED ‘NIITSITAPISSKSAHKOYI’ AND INSTALLED WITHIN THE GALT IN 2021. ELDERS WHO PROVIDED MUSEUM CURATOR AIMEE BENOIT WITH DIRECTION ON SUBTHEME’S CONTENT INCLUDED: AAGOHH GISS STSISTIIGIIAAKII (MANY OFFERINGS WOMAN, GRETA MANY BEARS), GUUYII STAA BAAMUUGHKAA (WALKING ON TOP, RAYMOND MANY BEARS), NIINAA PIIKSII (CHIEF BIRD, MIKE BRUISED HEAD), MO’TOKAANII’PO (WALKING WITH A SCALP, HARRISON RED CROW) AND MIINIIPOKA (SACRED BERRY CHILD, PETER WEASEL MOCCASIN). THE GALT APPRECIATED THE GENEROSITY OF THE ELDERS WHO SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS EXHIBIT PROJECT. “IINISSKIMM (BUFFALO STONE): ‘THE PEOPLE OF THE PAST, WHO ARE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD, THEY COME BACK TO SHOW US OR TEACH US. IN THIS WAY, AN OBJECT BECOMES SACRED. IT WAS USED TO HELP US, GUIDE US, IN WHATEVER CHALLENGE WE ENCOUNTERED. THIS PARTICULAR STONE IS A PETRIFIED ROCK OF ANIMALS FROM A LONG TIME AGO THAT EXISTED ON THIS LAND. IT WAS USED FOR HUNTING. YOU HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO HUNT; YOU HAVE TO SEARCH AND ASK IHTSIPAITAPI’YOPA (CREATOR) TO HELP. THAT’S WHAT IT WAS USED FOR. IINISSKIMM HAVE BEEN MODIFIED THROUGH THE CENTURIES AND HAVE BECOME SACRED. THEY ARE USED IN CEREMONIES AND IN SOME OF THE SACRED BUNDLES. THEY ARE PASSED ON FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.’ – MIINIIPOKA ‘I HAVEN’T HEARD OF OTHER TRIBES USING THE IINISSKIMM. I THINK NIITSITAPI, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES; NOBODY ELSE PRACTICES THAT, THE STORY OF THE IINISSKIMM. IT ORIGINATED HERE.’ – NIINAA PIIKSII”

Catalogue Number

P19738057000

Acquisition Date

1973-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail