Collections Database

This object is under review for NAGPRA-sensitivity.

Recent updates to NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) require consent from lineal descendants and/or affiliated Native American Tribes or Native Hawaiian Organizations before displaying or researching cultural items. We have removed the public image of this belonging until we can learn more about the wishes of affiliated Tribal officials or the descendants of those who made it.

If you want to connect with us and/or have information about this belonging, please contact artmuseum@mtholyoke.edu.

Label Text:
The introduction of European horses onto the Great Plains had a profound impact on the Sioux. Saddle bags like this were often made to be both functional and symbolic with the beadwork making a statement about its owner and their place within the community. The presentation of Native American objects, both historical and contemporary, alongside those of other American artists is long overdue. Hundreds of sovereign Native American nations, only some of which are recognized by the United States government, have been creating works of art for thousands of years. Although this bag’s unique history remains elusive, continued study can provide us with a better understanding of the artists and culture that created it.

(Sept. 2016)

Tags:
Native American; indigenous people

Subjects:
Leather; Glass; Indigenous peoples; Indians of North America

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+SK+K.47

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.