Mystical Circles of Power: The Plains Indian Shields

Plains Indian tribes including the Cheyenne, Sioux, Crow, and Kiowa would go into battle armed with special shields made of buffalo hide. The process of making the shields was arduous, and numerous taboos restricted owners of the shields. With the introduction of horses and European weapons, the use of shields in battle declined, but they maintained strong ritualistic symbolism. Discover more in this article, made available by The World & I Online.