Sioux Elk Dreamer Quilled Hide Tobacco Bag
fourth quarter 19th century

thread and sinew-sewn and coated with yellow pigment; prominently quilled in yellow and red is the iconic elk head for the Elk Dreamer Society accented with banded quilled and beaded elements
 
overall length 20-1/2 inches 

Elk Dreamer Society

Among the Lakota and other Plains peoples, to dream of a particular animal has great significance, for it is through dreams that one may receive the supernatural powers of that creature.  The bull elk is believed to possess extraordinary seductive powers over the females of its kind.  To dream of the bull elk is to acquire this special ability to captivate females. 

Men (and a few women) who dream of the elk joined the Elk Dreamers' Society, often acting their dreams and "testing€ their powers in dance performances.  At society feasts, Elk Dreamers sang songs and made medicine for attracting women.

For elk ceremonies, dreamers donned triangular masks of rawhide adorned with small branches representing antlers.  They painted their bodies yellow and often painted their arms black from the elbow down and their legs black from the knee down.  Dreamers carried hoops and mirrors from which to "shoot€ their powers at rival dreamers and to bring their "victims€ (often women) under their influence (Maurer 1992: 133, fig 53).

Published:
Spirits of the Art (Hanson 1994: 124, plate 126)