SOLD
4,500.00USD+ buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2020 May 30 @ 11:01UTC-6 : CST/MDT
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A full invoice should be emailed to the winner by the auctioneer within a day or two.
Due to COVID-19 the sale will be conducted Online Only with no in-person bidding available. The sale is scheduled to start one hour earlier at 9am Mountain Time.
This is an exceedingly rare authentic 19th Century Sun Dance War Drum from the Lakota Sioux Native American Indians. This original belonged to Sioux Indian “Flying Hawk” who was a first cousin to legendary Sioux War Chief Crazy Horse. The drum was given to Reverend Joseph Ward in 1885 by Flying Hawk when Ward founded the Yankton Sioux Indian College and Museum in South Dakota. The piece was on display at the college museum until the college closed and the entire contents of the museum was sold in 1985. A local Indian relic dealer bough this drum and the entire contents of one of the museum’s rooms and later sold the drum to well-known and respected collector Ben Thompson in 1986. Thompson later sold the drum to the current owner in the early 2000’s. This is the last of the Yankton Indian College collection materials available for public purchase, all other items have been sold or have been acquired by other museums. The drum itself is constructed of an octagonal-shaped wooden frame with wetted and stretched Buffalo hide over both sides, secured with thick hide lacing and has two hide carrying straps attached. The piece shows ceremonial Sun Dance symbols painted on one side and painted words and names in Lakota on the reverse. The drum is in good overall condition for its age with expected minor wear from true age and Indian use along with a few splits and cracks around the edges from drying and age. Much of the paint has a dried and faded appearance from time, but small and large brush strokes can still be seen under magnification. It has been documented that Flying Hawk said this drum was used during the last real Sun Dance that the Sioux ever held in the 19th Century, which took place in the summer of 1877 in Beaver Valley, Nebraska just a few miles south of Pine Ridge. This is referred to historically as “The Great Sioux Sun Dance of 1877”. It was officiated by Fast Thunder, who Flying Hawk said made the drum. American Horse, Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, He Dog, Young Man Afraid of His Horses and Horn Chips were all in attendance and what historians estimate to have been thousands of other Sioux spectators. The Sun Dance was held in honor of Crazy Horse and the killing of Custer the year before at the Battle of the Greasy Grass (Little Big Horn) in June of 1876. Crazy Horse was said to be in attendance but did not dance, instead his five cousins all danced in his honor. He was killed by a U.S. Infantryman who stabbed him in the back with a bayonet at Fort Robison a few months later. The front of the polychrome painted drum has a large yellow painted sunburst amongst a large blue-sky background with many five-point stars. The large yellow sun rays shone down toward the ground. The reverse side of the drum has names and writing painted in Lakota Sioux which includes the month and year of the dance, and the names of Crazy Horse and the dancers. Overall the drum measures 25 inches across by 3 inches wide. Translated from Lakota to English the reverse reads: Canwapto Wi 1877 (Month of May, called the Moon of the Green Leaves 1877) Wiwanke Wichipi (Sun Dance) Tasunka Witko (Crazy Horse) Wipanzutkan Wi (Seek your Bessings) Then the names of the dancers: Chetan Kinyan (Flying Hawk) Matho Wanahtak (Kicking Bear) Teca Sapa Tocala (Young Black Fox) Wanbli Wankintan (Eagle Thunder) Wahnikea Wanbli (Walking Eagle) Chapa Mayas (Beaver Walls) Wankan Thanka (The Great Spirit or Creator) The words "Beaver Walls" are painted on the drum. Research has uncovered this to be a series of rock cliff areas in Beaver Valley, Nebraska about 2 miles South of the Pine Ridge reservation where the Sun Dance took place. The local Sioux to this day still refer to the area as "Beaver Walls". Provenance: Fast Thunder the maker, Flying Hawk owner, Reverend Joseph Ward, Yankton Indian College Museum Collection, Ben Thompson collection, Missouri.
Auction Location:
34156 E Frontage Rd, Bozeman, Montana, 59715, United States
Previewing Details:
Preview the Friday before the auction 10am to 5pm or by appointment.
No sales tax in Montana
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
23% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
North American Auction Company is proud to announce the opening of our new in-house, full-service shipping department. We have listened to you the customer and will now be handling all outgoing packages in our new shipping department. We are confident this new offering will allow for a smooth transition from auction block to your front step. We have partnered with preferred carriers to ensure a safe, efficient delivery that works best with your schedule. Please allow 14-21 days after complete invoice payment is made to package and ship your purchase.
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Payment Details:
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North American Auction Company Terms and Conditions
A. Conditions of Sale
1. This terms and conditions is a legal binding agreement between the bidder and North American Auction Company (hereinafter North American Auction Company will be referred to as Auction Co. and the user or persons will be referred to as bidder or buyer).
2. Bidders must be at least 18 years of age to participate or register in the auction.
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4. According to U.C.C. § 2-328 (3). Sale by Auction
• U.C.C. § 2-328 (3). Sale by Auction:
Such a sale is with reserve unless the goods are in explicit terms put up without reserve. In an auction with reserve the auctioneer may withdraw the goods at any time until he announces completion of the sale
All items in this sale are offered subject to reserve according to the above statement. Auction Co. holds the rights to pass, sell, or hold the sale subject to seller confirmation on any and all items in this auction.
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6. Auction Co. shall determine the highest bidder as the purchaser. In the case of a disputed bid, the Auction Co. shall have sole discretion in determining the purchaser from any of the bids left whether they be the highest bidder or not and may also, at the Auction Co. election, withdraw the lot or reoffer the lot for sale. The Auction Co. shall have sole discretion to refuse any bid, or refuse to acknowledge any bidder. The Auction Co. also holds the right to terminate the purchase for any reason, even in the event the bidder was given notice that he/she is the high bidder and purchaser, the bidder agrees that the Auction Co. may terminate the purchase or agreement, in which case the Auction Co.’s only liability shall be the return of the highest bid amount the buyer paid with exception to any and all extra cost including but not limited to buyers premium and shipping.
7. Consent to Suit in Montana: In the event of legal proceedings arising from this contract or from the auction in connection therewith, the Buyer consents to being subject to the personal jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Montana. A Buyer also agrees and gives consent that venue shall be in Gallatin County, Montana and that the laws of the State of Montana shall govern this Agreement and the parties’ transaction hereunder.
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B. Conditions of Sale of Firearms.
1. Any persons who desire to become a Bidder on any firearms are required to be 18 years of age for any long gun and 21 years of age for any hand gun. Auction Co. is a licensed and practicing Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer. Any Bidders who desire to bid on and purchase any firearms in our auctions cannot have been convicted of a felony, have any restraining orders, or have any reason that they would not pass a NICS FFL Background Check. Auction Co. holds the right to run a NICS FFL Background check on any purchaser. If the Bidder on a long gun is a current resident with correct identification from the states of Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, or South Dakota and are attending the auction, the purchaser can take possession of the long gun at checkout, only if the Bidder is approved by the NICS FFL Background Check. If the Bidder is successful on a hand gun and in any state other than Montana the firearm will be shipped to a Federal Firearm Licensed Dealer of your choosing nearest your residence. The Buyer agrees to take sole responsibility for shipping of any firearms, including the delivery of the FFL License of your choosing to the Auction Co. and all shipping/handling expenses.
C. Conditions of Sale: Bidding
1. Live Bidding: The auction event will be held at the Auction Gallery located at 34156 E Frontage Rd Bozeman, MT, unless the announcements state otherwise and live onsite bidding will be available. Live onsite bidding is the most reliable and successful way to bid at our auction. Auction Co. advises any serious bidders to come to the live event as this will ensure the easiest transaction and give the Bidder the best opportunity to express their bids.
2. Telephone Bidding: Auction Co. offers Telephone Live Bidding for the auction event. Bidders wishing to be a telephone bidder at the time an item is being sold must contact the Auction Co. in advance to make arrangements. The bidder must contact the Auction Co. no later than 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time Zone the day preceding the sale to make arrangements to bid via telephone. If a bidder contacts Auction Co. after 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time Zone the day preceding the sale, Auction Co. cannot guarantee that the bidder’s bids will be executed. Bidders are required to fill out the “Phone Bidder Request Form” located on our website under the Phone Bidding tab. Once the bidder has filled out the Phone Bidder Request Form completely the auction company will then send the bidder the Telephone Bidder Terms of Service Document. Bidders understand that the Auction Co. is not responsible for any lost information or inability to contact the Bidder and that any form filled out on the Auction Co. website other than the Phone Bidder Request form will not be an acceptable request for phone bidding. The Bidder is then required to sign, scan, and email back the Telephone Bidder Terms of Service Document. Bidders can also fax the Telephone Bidder Terms of Service Document to Auction Co. at 800-686-4216. Once the document has been received by the Auction Co. then the Bidder will be entered into the Auction Co. system as a phone bidder. Auction Co. will then have a representative contact you on the telephone number the bidder has given the Auction Co. a few minutes or when the item is being sold. The Bidder can then tell the Auction Co. representative to bid on the bidder behalf. Telephone bidders may also leave Phone Bidder Absentee Bids with the Auction Co. representative. Phone Bidder Absentee Bids are a verbal or written request to the Auction Co. representative to leave a max bid amount for the representative to bid on behalf of the Bidder. Bidders understand and acknowledge that the Auction Co. is not held responsible for any and all damages resulting in but not limited to the loss of telephone connection, inability for the representative to call the bidder, inability to understand and relay the bidder’s bids, misunderstanding of the bidder’s amount, missed calls due to bad telephone connection. By becoming a telephone bidder, her/she understands and acknowledges they are taking on sole risk of any and all damages resulting in the telephone bidding. Telephone bidders also understand that any bid the representative places on behalf of the bidder is a guarantee of purchase and that the bidder agrees to purchase any items won on behalf of the Auction Co. representative at the representative’s highest accepted bid.
3. Live Internet Bidding: Auction Co. offers the bidders Live Internet Bidding or otherwise known as Simulcast Bidding as a convenience to our Bidders. Live Internet or Simulcast Bidding is defined as using hosted software by a third party during the live event to relay your bids and have the software and Auction Co. representative bid on your behalf. Live Simulcast Internet Bidding is available through various hosted platforms including but not limited to LiveAuctioneers, ICollector, Proxibid, Invaluable, Auctionzip, and HiBid. Bidders wishing to participate in the Live Internet Bidding event must first register to bid on any of the available hosted platforms in advance including all details of payment. Bidders understand and acknowledge that the Auction Co. is not responsible for the bidders approval to bid and that the Auction Co. has the right to refuse or decline any bidder without limitation. Bidders then must sign into the hosted internet bidding website in advance to the auction and within 30 minutes of the auction event starting time open the Live Bidding window. Auction Co. will not be responsible for any errors or failures to execute bids placed via Internet Simulcast Platforms including without limitation, errors or failures caused by (i) a loss of connection to the internet or to any hosted software platforms; (ii) a breakdown or technical problem with any of the hosted software platforms; (iii) a breakdown or problem with a client’s internet connection, mobile network or computer; (iv) the failure to relay the bids placed for any reason without limitation due to the hectic nature of the live auction event. Auction Co. is not responsible for any failure to execute an online bid or for any errors or omissions in connection therewith. Online bidding via all hosted internet platforms will be recorded. All Live Internet Simulcast Bidding is subject to the same terms stated in the Absentee Bidding Section C-4.
4. Absentee Bidding: Auction Co. offers bidders absentee bidding through various venues including but not limited to Online Absentee Bidding, Live Absentee Bidding, Telephone Absentee Bidding, on site in person Absentee Bidding, and Sealed Bid Absentee Bidding. The auction catalog is hosted on various different websites including without limitation LiveAuctioneers, ICollector, Proxibid, Invaluable, Auctionzip, and HiBid. A bidder wishing to participate in the online absentee bidding is required to register to bid and/or create an account, on any of the above listed websites, making sure to fill out the registration and or new account information completely with correct and the most current information. Once the bidder has successful registered for our auction event and has been approved to bid by the Auction Co. or hosted website the bidder can then continue to leave absentee bids. Auction Co. Bidders understand and acknowledge that the Auction Co. is not responsible for the bidders approval to bid and that the Auction Co. has the right to refuse or decline any bidder without limitation. If the bidder is not able to bid live online or live onsite at the auction event the Auction Co. advises the bidder to leave the maximum bid amount the bidder is willing to spend on any given item. Bidding on any item indicates your acceptance of these terms and all other terms writing within, posted, and announced at the time of sale whether bidding in person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid. All bids placed with the Auction Co. whether in person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid are taken in full confidence and will not be shared or used incorrectly (Auction Co. DOES NOT bid on behalf of the consignor or share with any persons the confidential bids placed by any persons). Auction Co. will not be responsible for any errors or failures to execute bids placed (via absentee bidding without limitation including in person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid) including without limitation, errors or failures caused by (i) a loss of connection to the internet or to any hosted software platforms; (ii) a breakdown or technical problem with any of the hosted software platforms; (iii) a breakdown or problem with a client’s internet connection, mobile network or computer; (iv) the failure to relay the bids placed for any reason without limitation due to the hectic nature of the live auction event. Auction Co. is not responsible for any failure to execute an online bid or for any errors or omissions in connection therewith. Online bidding via all hosted internet platforms will be recorded. All bidding is subject to approval by the Auction Co. and Auction Co. Auctioneer representative at the live auction event. Auction Co. holds the right to refuse or decline or accept in any order the bids presented to the Auctioneer at the time of the live event. Bidders understand that all bids placed are considered and executed as Competitive Bidding. Competitive Bidding is allowing the Auction Co. to start the bid at the amount the Auctioneer will accept a bid regardless of any bidder’s maximum bid. understand that due to the hectic nature of the live auction event that the Auction Co. and Auctioneer will not take into account the date at which any bid was placed (Example No.1: If the Auctioneer is asking all bidders for a $1,000 bid and a live onsite bidder in person, a bidder through representative, a telephone bidder, an internet live bidder from all of the five available hosted platforms, and an absentee bidder all at the exact same time bid $1,000, the Auctioneer will award the high bid solely at his discretion without limitations. Example No. 2: A bidder number 1 left an absentee bid of $1,000 on a lot. The auction event is in processes and the bidder number 1 is the highest accepted bid at $100 and the Auctioneer according to his sole discretion sets the bidding increments at $100 and then continues to call bids. The bidder number 1 is then accepted as the highest bidder at $900 and the Auctioneer ask for $1,000 and accept the bid from another bidder, bidder number 2, at $1,000. The Auctioneer then calls for any more bids at $1,100 and then sells the item to the bidder number 2. Since the original bidder, bidder number 1, was accepted at $900 and the Auctioneer has chosen $100 increments the next accepted bid must be $1,000 and bidder number 1 cannot bid again as the Auctioneer already has accepted his bid at $900. When the Auctioneer calls for $1,100 bidder number 1 no longer will show the Auction Co. representative any available bids and the item will be sold to bidder number 2). Auction Co. is not liable for any damages or responsible for selling the item to another bidder at your maximum bid amount without limitation.
5. By registering to bid or/and bidding on any item this indicates the bidders acceptance of these terms and all other terms printed within, posted, and announced at the time of sale whether bidding in person, through a representative, by phone, by internet, or other absentee bid. Auction Co. advises any persons who does not fully understand and acknowledge the terms written herewith to refrain from bidding in any manner. All bids left are an acknowledgement and agreement of these terms and a guarantee for all payment invoices on any successful or purchased lots including any additional expenses including but not limited to buyers premium and storage cost and late fees when applicable.