Description

When I saw the movie, Dances with Wolves, I reconnected with my Indian heritage (please see Quest Page). I had gotten some bone beads a while before I saw the movie, and I always have a little Amethyst around, so I decided I’d try to make a piece of jewelry based on the bone armor seen in paintings and photographs of Native Americans. My Southeast Native American ancestors didn’t need such protection since they were forest people and used trees for cover during battle. But Plains Indians needed protection from arrows. And while the armor was not effective against bullets; in portraits they were worn to perhaps symbolize the unbowed dignity of those who had fought against an invader but were overpowered and vanquished.

While some armor was much longer than this piece (some reached to the groin area), considering the modern person who would probably wear it as jewelry, I decided on this size. Instead of leather, I used standard predrilled Sterling spacers whose holes probably needed to be drilled a bit farther apart. I don’t believe it is a problem. If whoever buys it wishes me to do so, I will restring it using leather.