top of page

Deer Hoof Necklace

Date: 1880-1900

​

Description: This necklace was made from the hooves of deer and elk by the Winnebago or Ho-Chunk people. It was used during a special “Rainmaker’s Dance,” which helped bring rain to the region. The details of the dance are preserved in the Winnebago tribe by oral tradition. This necklace would have been used in the dance with special “invitation sticks,” which were wrapped in tobacco leaves and smoked by the warriors at rest periods during the dance. These sticks are on display nearby this necklace in the Sioux City Public Museum gallery.

​

Donor: Florence White

 

On display

© 2015 by the Sioux City Public Museum. Museum website

  • Facebook Social Icon

All images used on this site are copyrighted by the Sioux City Public Museum. Images may not be copied, shared, or used without proper permissions. To obtain or use in any manner any of these images, please contact the Sioux City Public Museum.

The Sioux City Public Museum's Virtual Collections site is made possible by the generous support of the Gilchrist Foundation.

bottom of page