Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art
Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art is told primarily with art from the Heard Museum collection and generous donations through the years. Many of the historic ledger drawings seen in the exhibit come from ledger books from the Darlington Agency near Fort Reno, Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), from 1875 through the 1880s. The Heard ledger drawings have been examined by several scholars who have written extensively about historic ledger art, and they have helped identify the artists. We don’t necessarily know the actual names of the artists, but they have been given designations such as “No Horse,” “Duck Head” and “Gilcrease Ledger Artist.”
Beadwork from the Heard Museum collection shows the transition in women’s art in the late 1800s using examples from the Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection and other gifts. Several pieces demonstrate how women began to expand their design details from geometric elements to figurative beading during the Reservation Period.
We present examples of contemporary ledger art from the Heard collection, supplemented by loans from artists and private collectors. We appreciate their generosity.
Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art
[Beadwork intro]
The beaded art produced from the 1880s to the 1920s maintained cultural values such as family status and kinship relationships at a time of great social upheaval. Certain designs were associated with specific families or even individuals. Finely beaded clothing, cradleboards and bags were a way to display social status. Objects that were beaded were not necessarily things of practical utility; they could be gifts, an indicator of reciprocal obligation and a way to reinforce kinship and a sense of identity.
Increasingly, beadwork was in demand by external consumers. Making art for sale filled an economic need. Men continued making ledger drawings, much as they had since the 1860s, and found a market in the growing number of tourists and art collectors coming to the West. Women increased their beadwork production with several noticeable changes:
Beadwork designs became much more elaborate and filled the entire surface of a piece.
- Women made pictorial images (horses, warriors with headdresses), which previously were in the male domain.
- Women beaded non-Native forms, such as vests and commercial purses.
Beadwork was and continues to be a source of pride for Native artists.
Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art
[Introduction to accompany map]
The Great Plains extends from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Texas. Grasses and a variety of plants supported vast populations of buffalo. Buffalo made it possible for humans to subsist on the land, providing food, shelter and clothing. Destruction of the buffalo herds in the 19th century—part of the U.S. policy to control the American Indians—changed the history of the Native people who had inhabited the land for thousands of years.
Despite the cultural and economic shock of the last 200 years, Plains Indian peoples survived—even thrived—physically, culturally and spiritually. As traditional culture was curtailed and eventually forbidden, art became a means of recalling and confirming cultural values. Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art honors the long and evolving art traditions of the Plains Indians.
Stories Outside the Lines: American Indian Ledger Art
[Object labels, Ledger 2]
[Framed artwork]
Benjamin Jacob Nelson
Kiowa/Navajo/Taos Pueblo, b. 1982
Untitled, 1994
Watercolor and pen on paper
The background patterns of pink, yellow and gray and the depiction of a shadowy rider and mount are reminiscent of rock art, the earliest form of pictorial art. The artist is influenced by the ledger-art tradition of identifying individuals by unique clothing and accoutrement—even the tipis have distinctive patterns.
Gift of David and Sara Lieberman, 4481-14
Michael Horse
Mescalero Apache/Yaqui/Zuni Pueblo, b. 1951
“Buffalo Bill’s Friends,” n.d.
Paint and ink on newspaper
Gift of Maxine and Stuart Applebaum, 4738-4
Michael Horse
Mescalero Apache/Yaqui/Zuni Pueblo, b. 1951
Untitled, n.d.
Paint and ink on ledger paper
This appears to be a blessing of a couple.
Gift of Maxine and Stuart Applebaum, 4738-5
Linda Haukaas
Sicangu Lakota, b. 1952
“Artists Release Their Souls,” 2008
Color pencil and ink on paper
We see a crowded street at an Indian market with Native women in ornamented dresses and dentalium shell earrings. Non-Native women wear sunglasses, boots and turquoise jewelry and carry purchases under their arms. Several artists reach their arms up, releasing their art, which floats in the air above. As the title suggests, the economic necessity of selling art comes at a cost.
Gift of Stephen and Lynda Nacht, 4742-3
Virginia Stroud
Cherokee/Creek, b. 1951
“Plains Dancers: Homage to Plains Artists,” 1973
Casein on board
The flat painting of figures with detailed clothing and bags, moving from right to left, is a nod to ledger-art drawings of the 19th century. Virginia Stroud was one of the first to start a revival of ledger-style art.
Gift of Dr. Rennard Strickland, 3485-7
Sherman Chaddlesone
Kiowa, 1947-2013
Untitled, 1983
Watercolor on paper
The portrayal of three warriors in a procession, with detailing of dress and weapons rather than facial features, is typical of ledger style.
Gift of Dr. Rennard Strickland, 3485-11
Thomas Haukaas
Rosebud Lakota, b. 1950
”Pictographic Coat for My Friend Ken, 2013
Paint on linen jacket
Courtesy of Kenneth Williams Jr.
[Beaded objects]
[Clothing]
Girl’s dress
Southern Cheyenne or Southern Arapaho, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, cowrie shells, cotton cloth, sinew, thread, pigment
This dress combines natural materials and trade goods. The cowrie shells are from the Pacific Coast.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 43BE
Woman’s high-top moccasins
Kiowa, 1890s
Deer hide, glass beads, brass ornaments, rawhide strips, cotton cord, pigment, thread
These moccasins are an example of how clothing could establish a family’s social position through fine beadwork and ornamentation.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 50BE
Dress
Kiowa, late 1800s
Deer hide, elk teeth, cowrie shells, ribbon, metal ornaments, glass beads, sinew, thread, pigment
The owner of this dress is demonstrating her social status by the rich ornamentation, especially the elk teeth and cowrie shells.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 102BE
Vest
Sioux, early 1900s
Elk hide, glass beads, thread
Unlike pictographic ledger drawings that narrated a specific heroic deed through the image of a horse and rider, women’s beading referenced a legacy of men’s accomplishments as warriors. The image of horse and rider in the early 20th century became a generalized image of Indian identity.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 233BE
Wo-heh-shay
Cheyenne, life years unk.
Moccasins, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, thread
Heard Museum collection, NA-PL-CH-C-2
Baby’s moccasins
Sioux, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, wool, thread
Beading moccasins for a baby established a bond of kinship, so the moccasins may have been a gift made by a relative. Most likely the designs used were owned by a particular family or group.
Heard Museum purchase, NA-PL-SO-C-14
Woman’s high-top moccasins
Southern Arapaho, late 1800s
Deer hide, buffalo hide, sinew, glass beads, thread, pigment
Moccasins continued to be worn after manufactured shoes and clothing were available. Adherence to the wearing of traditional footwear may have been an assertion of group identity, and (most likely) moccasins were more comfortable than manufactured shoes.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Harvey III, NA-PL-SO-C-50
Boy’s vest
Sioux, 1900
Buffalo hide, glass beads, cotton cloth, thread
From the late 1880s into the 20th century, beaded vests were popular items for wear by Indian males, and they were also made for sale to the growing market of white collectors.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Harvey III, NA-PL-SO-C-59
Moccasins
Lakota Sioux, early 1900s
Deer hide, glass beads, thread
Documentation with these moccasins identifies them as being from the Rosebud Agency in South Dakota.
Heard Museum collection , NA-PL-SO-C-89A, B
Boy’s trousers
Western Sioux, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, cotton cloth, thread
Heard Museum collection, NA-PL-SO-C-99
Vest
Sioux, early 1900s
Deer hide, glass beads, cotton cloth, thread
The vest was in the possession of the owner of the 101 Ranch Real Wild West Show and may have been worn by performers.
Heard Museum purchase, NA-PL-SO-C-114
Teri Greeves
Kiowa/Comanche, b. 1970
We Gave Two Horses in Honor of Our Son, 1999
Commercial shoes, glass beads, thread
Horses are signifiers of wealth and power in Plains society. The gift of a horse or horses forms a political and social alliance.
Heard Museum purchase, 3868-1A, B
[Bags]
Beaded bag
Kiowa, 1900
Deer hide, glass beads, thread, sinew, pigment
A small bag like this was probably for holding ochre, a mineral pigment used for painting hides.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 89BE
Tobacco bag
Kiowa, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, pigment, cotton cord, thread
The beaded designs suggest churches, which would have been common on the reservations in the late 19th century.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 104BE
Pouch
Arapaho, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, tin cones, cotton cloth, thread
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Harvey III, NA-PL-AR-Q-12
Bag
Crow, 1900
Deer hide, glass beads, brass beads, thread, sinew, pigment
The use of trade beads, brass discs and red ochre to paint the sides and fringes makes this a special bag.
Gift of Mr. Donald B. Cyrog, NA-PL-CR-Q-6
Tipi bag
Sioux, late 1800s
Buffalo hide, sinew, thread, glass beads, tin cones, horsehair
A bag like this would hold personal items and would be carried on a horse or used in the tipi for storage.
Heard Museum collection, NA-PL-SO-Q-53
Beaded commercial purse
Sioux, early 20th century
Commercial frame, deer hide, glass beads, thread
Products like this were made to sell to tourists coming on trips west. It was a way to provide economic gain during a time of scarcity.
Heard Museum purchase, NA-PL-SO-Q-69
[Other objects]
Cradleboard
Kiowa, 1890
Deer hide, glass beads, wood, buckskin, brass ornaments, cotton cloth, thread, rawhide strips
Cradleboards finely decorated like these are loving expressions of desire for an infant to be safe and secure. They were made by relatives and in use before and during the reservation period. Some households still use cradleboards.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 83BE
Cradleboard
Cheyenne, 1890
Deer hide, wood, glass beads, brass ornaments, paint, cotton cloth, thread
The reservation period was characterized by an increasing complexity of design and the desire to bead every square inch of an object.
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 177BE
[Added material]
Bag
Kiowa, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, tin cones, brass beads, thread, mother of pearl
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 101BE
Tobacco bag
Cheyenne, late 1800s
Deer hide, glass beads, cornhusks, flicker feathers, sinew, animal hair
Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection, Heard Museum, 108BE
Storage bag
Crow, late 1800s
Elk or buffalo hide, glass beads, sinew, thread
Gift of Mrs. L.C. Wells, NA-PL-CR-Q-2
Moccasins
Sioux, c. 1870
Deer hide, buffalo hide, porcupine quills, glass beads, cotton, metal, feathers, sinew, thread
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Harvey III