Museum Expedition 1907, Museum Collection Fund

"Fall Corn Dance" is an opaque watercolor over graphite drawing on a textured wove paper. The artist's signature, "Mootzka", is located at the bottom right corner of the image in black watercolor. The media is generally in good condition but there is some cracking in the dark blue skirts, the yellow stripes of the flag, the green in the feather headdresses, and in most of the red areas. There is also cracking in the brown drum and belt of the figure in pink. An previous acidic mat caused an orange-brown mat burn around the image.

The reservation era of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when Native American tribes had ceded their land to the federal government and were confined to set aside tracts of land, created profound cultural changes for the Plains peoples. The masculine artistic tradition of painting warrior's exploits on hide shirts and robes declined but men continued to record their deeds and their changing way of life in paintings and drawings on canvas, muslin, and small notebooks, or ledger books. Many of these works memorialize individual achievements in hunting and warfare. Some ledger books were carried into battle and "captured" on the battlefield. U.S. Army men who had amicable relations with Indian scouts or were guards of Native American prisoners commissioned others. This drawing depicts one warrior scalping another fallen warrior who is dropping his bow and arrows.

Pair of long boots made of caribou skin; with long, brown fur strips and edged with white fur.

Woman's wedding dress of caribou hides with the fur on the inside of the costume, long sleeved with a hood. It is decorated with bead design on the front bib, epaulets and hood in blue, white, red, yellow and other colors. It has fringes on the epaulets and hood of white, blue, red and yellow with beads and teeth. The bottom edge which is curvilinear has a hide fringe. Three wooden amulets are suspended from the neck.

This kachina has a helmet-style mask with feather headdress, a snout with teeth, hide ears and a face painted with a snake design. He wears a short fur cape and hide boots, painted blue with red trim. His skirt is also decorated with a snake motif. His body has been painted with red pigment.

This Kachina is one of a group that was commissioned and has not been clearly identified. He wears a helmet-style mask and a raised headband in the front. He has a tubular-shaped nose. The top of the head is decorated with feathers with an additional bunch tied near the neck. The figure is elaborately dressed with complete cotton shirt and skirt, both painted with traditional designs. The tall hide boots are fringed.

This kachina doll has a fur and feather headdress and fur ruff around his neck. A lone feather sticks straight up on top of the headdress. Under the fur collar he wears a black, cotton kerchief. His cotton skirt has a painted design and sash. His boots have been painted on and topped with tarn ties. Ties are also on his wrists. He is one of several that were commissioned.

Also has a number 33 on it. This pipe stem has very nice Sioux quillwork, very tiny and tight woven bands.

Museum Expedition 1904, Museum Collection Fund