Circular pouch possibly used to carry peyote, a dome-shaped cactus that is used as a narcotic. Or it may have been a pouch to hold other special object. Possibly it was originally a tipi ornament that was converted to a bag. The front is decorated with 9 alternating white and red circular bands that are bisected by 8 black stripes (resembling spokes of a wheel) of porcupine quillwork. The back is of commercial leather with a scroll, punctate design and beaded cross-shaped decorations in blue, yellow and red. Encircling pouch is a fringe of 13 red, white, and black quill-wrapped leather strips and carved deer hooves. Condition is good.

Brooklyn Museum Collection

The object is a miniature teepee cover. On a natural background there are painted designs in brown, pink, black and grey. They represent a battle scene (possibly a horse raid) and include two mounted Indians, two leading horses, and two fallen warriors. Also shown are four warriors with rifles, hoof prints of horses, and, near the top, three stylized feather designs. Good example of miniature tipi even though not made quite correctly-too upright. Design: hoof prints indicate movement. The person hurt and lying down might be Pawnee or Osage based on the hairstyle and might have been done in by the one with the rifle. One is wearing military pants. The horses tails are tied and decorated and must be favorite warhorses as their manes are also tied. Can't tell who or what the person with the lines on his face is. Dots might indicate a person who had small pox.

Brooklyn Museum Collection

Arapaho parfleche bag with painted stripes and diamond-shaped figures in red, green, blue and yellow. Condition is good. Hide somewhat stiff. The Arapaho believed that Whirlwind Woman, a mystical woman, taught them how to make their designs. The six spots around the hide are where Whirlwind Woman sat down when painting the design. The white rectangles or squares are symbolic of where the buffalo came into the world. The bar inside the edges is often seen in Arapaho designs. The black triangular figures are called Wal-say-dad or bear hands whether they do or do not show any claws. Arapaho parfleches often have a large amount of unpainted surface like this one and the use of sky-blue or green is the favorite color choice. The black used in outlining often came from the Cheyenne along the Powder River area. Arapaho women often were specialists in making certain types of things such as this bag. The buffalo hair side is turned inside but with hair removed. The bag would be used for food stuffs, such as dried meats, dried cherries, fat back and peppermint leaves, often stored for long times as emergency rations. It could also be used for other things; clothes, or feathers from headdresses. Former number 67954.1

This is a classic style of Northern Arapaho cradle except instead of hide it was made of muslin. The quilled disc is a design element that is symbolic for protecting the brain of the baby and is made with sacred colors of red, yellow and black. The lacings represent the baby's ribs, arms, and legs. There are ladder like bands of quillwork that frame the child's face flopping over like braids. The cradle is fashioned over a bent willow hoop. The Arapaho had a Sacred Guild of Quill workers. After initiation quill workers were allowed to make a type of holy embroidery with symbolic designs. Work was restricted to a few objects and four specific colors representing four directions. The cradle is like a tipi as it houses the baby like a tipi houses the family and tribe so both men and women are represented. The disc is a traditional Arapaho design done a lot by the Women's Society of Quill workers. The Shoshone/Arapaho started making these types again in the 1970s and they might still be making them. Possibly matches with cradle strap 05.568.

Museum Expediton 1907, Museum Collection Fund

These might be northern Cheyenne as the extra tall ankle pieces may be a version used by a northern artist. These baby’s moccasins have the tipi door design but there is no extra beaded strip across the vamp and heel that would usually be found on Cheyenne moccasins. The pointed toe is also an earlier fashion of northern Cheyenne but they could also be Northern Arapaho. They have parfleche bottoms as remants of the painted design remain. Quite a lot of the green fringe cloth is missing from around the ankle.

Definitely northern Plains. On Gros Vente moccasins one sees beaded designs like this on deer or elk hide, from around the Fort Belknap reservation region. But this "arrow" design is a very common design used by several different tribes. Since they do not look particularly Salish, or Sioux, they possibly are Arapaho.

Sioux womans beaded work bag.