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Winter Count

Brulé Lakota (Teton Sioux)

Not on view

The keeper of this winter count maintained and created a pictorial history for his village. Each year, from one winter to the next, he drew an important event in Lakota life. The images served as memory aids for the keeper, who would recite the history to others. This count begins in the upper left corner, with the picture of a person dragging a sled, probably in 1826–27; the image may symbolize a harsh winter.

Winter Count, Ink and watercolor on muslin, Brulé Lakota (Teton Sioux)

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