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Plains Indian Nakota (Yankton Sioux) War Club
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Nakota (Yankton Sioux) Most of the fighting in a battle was done with war clubs and not with bow and arrows. The object of a battle was to demonstrate bravery by hitting an enemy which is called "counting coup". The most common weapon was the football-shaped black soapstone head. It was secured with an ash limb which encircled the stone and formed the handle. It was next covered with wet buffalo hide which dried hard as rawhide. The sewing was with sinew and a coating of red ochre, symbolizing blood, was applied. The handle had a bison tail section and eagle feather attached from a coup earned in battle. In war, the opponent was struck with the side of the club rather than the point because the weapon swung better on its broad side. The only defense against the stone war club was the thick bison hide shield. #04 |
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Artifacts by Sioux Replications / All images © Franz Brown
| Artifacts Group 1 / Group 2 / Group 3 |
