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                         ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS

                                 OF THE

                       American Museum of Natural
                                History.

                            Vol. I, Part II.



                 SOME PROTECTIVE DESIGNS OF THE DAKOTA.

                                   BY

                             CLARK WISSLER.

                               NEW YORK:
                  Published by Order of the Trustees.
                            February, 1907.




                  American Museum of Natural History.
                     PUBLICATIONS IN ANTHROPOLOGY.

The results of research conducted by the Anthropological staff of the
Museum, unless otherwise provided for, are published in a series of
octavo volumes of about 350 pages each, issued in parts at irregular
intervals, entitled Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of
Natural History. The Anthropological work of the Museum is organized
under two heads. The Department of Ethnology exercises curatorial
functions in ethnography, ethnology and physical anthropology and in all
archæology except that pertaining to the present confines of Mexico and
the Central American States which has been delegated to a distinct
department entitled the Department of Archæology. This series of
publications aims to give the results of field-work conducted by the
above departments, supplemented by the study of collections in the
Museum. The editorial responsibilities are administered by the Curator
of the Department of Ethnology.

The following are on sale at the Museum at the prices stated.

   Vol. I. Part I. Technique of some South American Feather-work. By
                   Charles
                   W. Mead. Pp. 1-18, Plates I-IV, and 14 text figures.
                   January,
                   1907. Price, $0.25.

          Part II. Some Protective Designs of the Dakota. By Clark
                   Wissler.
                   Pp. 19-54, Plates V-VII, and 26 text figures, February,
                   1907.
                   Price, $0.50.




                         ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS

                                 OF THE

                   AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

                            VOL. I, PART II.


                 SOME PROTECTIVE DESIGNS OF THE DAKOTA.

                           BY CLARK WISSLER.




                               CONTENTS.


               INTRODUCTION
               SHIELD-DESIGNS
               GHOST-DANCE DESIGNS
               THE HOOP
               THE WHIRLWIND
               THE THUNDER
               THE SPIDER
               CONCLUSION




                             ILLUSTRATIONS.
                                PLATES.

            V. Model of a Shield, Museum No. 50-2929. Diameter,
                 39 cm.
           VI. Shield-design on a Cape, Museum No. 50-3102. Width
                 of cape, 178 cm.
          VII. Model of a Shield, Museum No. 50-5467. Diameter,
                 46 cm.

                             TEXT FIGURES.

            1. Shield-cover with Design
            2. Shield-design, from a Drawing by a Native
            3. Drawing, by a Native, of a Shield-cover
            4. Shield-design, from a Drawing by a Native
            5. Spider-design for a Shield, from a Drawing by a
                 Native
            6. Shield-design, from a Drawing by the Man who
                 dreamed of it
            7. Shield-design representing a Thunderstorm, from a
                 Drawing by a Native
            8. Model of a Shield with Pictographic Design
            9. Design on Sioux Shield captured by a Fox Indian
           10. Front of a Ghost-dance Garment
           11. Back of Garment shown in Fig. 10
           12. Designs on the Front of Ghost-dance Garment
           13. Designs on the Back of Garment shown in Fig. 12
           14. Front of a Ghost-dance Garment bearing Dragon-fly
                 Design
           15. Back of Garment shown in Fig. 14
           16. Circular Design upon a Shirt
           17. Sketch, by a Native, of an Elk-mystery Dancer
                 carrying a Hoop with a Mirror in the Centre
           18. Engraved Metal Cross
           19. Engraved Bone Object
           20. Whirlwind Design, from the Handle of a Club
           21. Whirlwind Design, from a Popgun
           22. Whistle, of Bone
           23. Design of a Spider-web
           24. Sketch of a Robe for the Medicine-bow Owner
           25. Design on a Metal Belt-ornament
           26. Design of the Spider-web on a Straight Pipe




                             INTRODUCTION.


The decorative art of the Dakota has been treated in a preceding paper,
in which brief mention was made of religious art, or that art in which
there was a definite, unmistakable motive on the part of the artist to
represent mythical or philosophical ideas. In this more serious art, a
large number of designs may be characterized as “protective designs,”
because their presence or possession is in part a protection. The idea
in a protective design seems to be a symbolical appeal to the source or
concrete manifestation of a protective power. It is not easy to get the
point of view and the spirit of the faith that make these designs
significant, but from the detailed explanations of them some general
idea can be formed. The descriptions given in this paper are based upon
the statements of Indians, in most cases the executers of the designs.
The attitude of the reader toward such a study as this is often that of
concluding that the points of view set forth by a writer are universal
in the tribe. This leads to a great deal of superficial criticism. In
the opinion of the writer, any rejection of such study because one or
two or several Indians deny all knowledge of some or all of the specific
native accounts upon which conclusions are based, is absurd. We might as
well test the artistic sense of a