Pictorial Muslin (Sun Dance)

Contact with Euro-Americans introduced new media to warrior artists on the Great Plains. Having long recorded both personal and collective histories on hide robes and tipis, muslin, which could be bought by the yard from trading posts, soon formed the basis of narrative expression. Moved to reservations, families were cut from traditional sources of sustenance. In response, a number of artists painted scenes of Indigenous life to sell to outsiders. A recurring subject of such paintings was the Sun Dance. 

The Sun Dance is one of the seven sacred ceremonies among the Lakota. Having originated from a vision, it first emerged around 1820. The event pictured on the above muslin represents the climax of a multi-day ceremonial during which the community gathers together to dance, sing, pray and fast. The participants are adorned with body paint and ceremonial garments. High-ranking men are carrying decorated eagle staffs and fully feathered headdresses, while female participants are dressed in fine woollen blankets and hide robes, wearing intricately beaded breastplates and moccasins. In the centre of the composition, a man is attached to the Sun Dance pole, dancing as if in a trance. His pectoral muscles are pierced in a gesture of personal sacrifice for the benefit of the community. By shedding one’s blood, the Lakota show bravery and respect for the earth, heavens, and everything that inhabits them.