View 1: The Bow

The bow itself was created from yew wood, with the string being stretched animal sinew; likely that of a deer or elk. The bows size indicates that it was likely only used for hunting smaller game, as the Pikuni Blackfeet tribe obtained much of their animal resources through hunting bison, which would be difficult to kill with a bow of this make. The inside of the body of the bow is engraved with simple, abstract wood carvings that bear superficial resemblance to the written language used by the Pikuni Blackfeet tribe, although they have no translatable meaning. It is possible that the bowstring is not the original and was added by a later collector, as its exact collection history before 1968 is not known.