Native American Dance Shield With Mink By Puggy Hawk
This handsome dance shield features a hand painted warrior on leather and genuine mink at the points of the four directions.
The outer part of the ring forming this shield is wrapped in soft suede.
Real feathers dangle from the bottom, accented with beads and brass wraps.
The measurements are apporximately 19 inches wide and about 31 inches long, top to end of feathers.
The mink came from a woman in New York City.
She gave 10 mink coats to reservation people for use in their crafts.
This wonderful creation would be great at a Wacipi or as an interesting wall hanging for your home or office decor.
~ About Dance Shields ~
Many years ago, the shield was thought to hold great medicine and powers for a warrior.
The warrior would dance with this shield to release the protective powers and to invite his ancestors to join him, in hopes that he may fight bravely and with honor.
Today, the shield dance is an exhibition dance.
Usually executed by two fancy dancers who twirl
about while challenging each other with shields and spears.
About The Artist Of This Jewelry
Velrose Leroy Hawk ~ aka Puggy Hawk
Crow Creek Lakota
Puggy lived at Mission SD when he did this piece.
He taught the kids crafts while there.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 ~ P.L. 101-644 ~
The Federal government started getting serious with those that misrepresent products to be Native American Indian made so they passed a law in 1990 to protect consumers. This law is "The Indian Arts an Crafts Act of 1990 ~ P.L. 101-644 ~" and concerns the truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation of products sold as American Indian made within the United States, making it illegal to sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is produced by or is an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization. To learn more, visit the official site of the governing Indian Arts and Crafts Board and have the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 reprinted by clicking this link: http://www.doi.gov/iacb/act.html Violation of these laws carries very hefty fines with possible jail time.
Dakota Exchange guarantees that the Native American jewelry we sell is genuine. We enjoy promoting the beautiful Native American crafts and culture.
Authenticating Native American crafts should be easy when buying from a reputable dealer. Your first authenticity tip should be the price of the item. Due to the materials used, intricate details and time involved in creating a piece, the cost of authentic Native American jewelry is likely to be somewhat to very expensive.
Those selling authentic items will be able to tell you who the creating artist is. Many times, they will be able to tell you a bit about the artist and their background. The minimum background that you should find acceptable is the artist name and tribe they are enrolled with. ( Sometimes, a dealer will even supply the tribal number of the crafting artist. ) The basic background information will allow you the ability to contact the tribal headquarters to further authenticate the item you have purchased or are interested in purchasing.
You may be able to authenticate the item further through artist markings. Many artists use a trademark of sorts. You can attempt to identify the artist by their hallmarks, initials or signatures, generally found on the back of the piece. Investigate to see how the item compares to other crafts by the artist.
If a dealer does not tell you about the artist up front, ask questions! Do not assume that all items claimed to be Native American, are Native American. As in many other specialty items and collectibles, there are many counterfeits and copies out there. Use caution when a dealer can not give you minimal information about the artist and the tribe they are enrolled with. If you purchase an art or craft product represented to you as Indian-made, and you learn that it is not, first contact the dealer to request a refund. If the dealer does not respond to your request, you can also contact your local Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and the local District Attorney's office, as you would with any consumer fraud complaint. Second, contact the Indian Arts and Crafts Board with your written complaint regarding violations of the Act.
