Sioux Grizzly Bear Claw Necklace
mid-19th century

28 honey-colored claws coated with red pigment; claws are separated by polished plum pits

longest claw 4 inches; length of necklace 16 inches

Large, powerful, and ferocious, the grizzly bear, or grisly bear, as it is often was written, was something to be emulated by a warrior.  A lesser-known facts is that Plains Indians regarded bears as great doctors.  A person possessing bear power was the specialist to consult when one's life hung in the balance....

The Plains tribes felt it was an equal feat to kill a grizzly bear as to kill a human enemy.  In fact, some tribes believed that these bears actually were humans with an altered appearance.... Instead of keeping the scalp as a trophy, men took the giant yellowish claws to commemorate a great victory (Hansen 1994: 106).

Published:
Spirits in the Arts (Hansen 1994: 106, plate 111)


Ex Mae Reed Porter (1889-1969)

Has been restrung.