war bundle

war bundle

war bundle

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Introduction

This deer skin envelopes relatives to create a bundle (dkopjigan). The war bundle is dated to the 1700s, was collected in Bkejwanong, Walpole Island, where local knowledge connected it to Pontiac. The bundle includes a rattle with deer hooves, a red bandolier sash also decorated with deer hooves, turtle feet and tail, miniature club necklace, deerskin ball, and deerskin headdress. Originally collected by MG Chandler, it was subsequently collected by Richard A Pohrt who believed the bundle was not old enough to belong to Pontiac and thought it may instead be from Tecumseh. The bundle currently resides at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Traditional Knowledge Label
TK Culturally Sensitive
TK Culturally Sensitive

This material has cultural and/or historical sensitivities

Nation of Maker: Odawa
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

Detroit Institute of Arts records

Place of Origin: Michigan, USA
Date Made or Date Range: 17uu
Materials

Deerskin

Techniques or Format

Deerskin war bundle is held together by two ties (81.174.2A-2B). Bundle contains a dew claw rattle (81.174.3), miniature club (81.174.4), sash (81.174.5), necklace (81.174.6), deerskin ball (81.174.7), four turtle feet with claws (81.174.8-11), snapping turtle tail (81.174.12) and deerskin headdress (81.174.13). There is also 81.676, which consists of two bundles of feathers and a prisoner tie, clearly related to war.

Other Notes

dimensions for ties: 81.174.2A is 54 in. and 81.174.2B is 25 in.

Dimensions: 18.25 × 10.875 × 4.25 in
Current Location: Detroit Institute of Arts, MI, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 81.174.1
Link to Institution's Collections Database: https://dia.org/collection/deerskin-wrapper-56275
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1981
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Richard A. Pohrt
Collection Narratives and Histories

Collected by M. G. Chandler at Bkejwanong, Walpole Island, Ontario. Local tradition indicated this was part of war bundle of Pontiac, Ottawa chief. According to Pohrt, material is not old enough to have belonged to Pontiac; Chandler's informant may have meant Tecumseh.

GKS Reference Number: 877
Record Creation Context

This record was augmented by Cara Krmpotich on January 25, 2024.

Approximate Place of Origin

42.391008609205, -83.407968360067

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