Pitätapiú, Assiniboin Man

Description

This slender young man, his mane of hair ornamented with two small shells, was a member of the Stone band of the Assiniboin tribe. The objects Pitätapiú carries are those of a proud warrior. In one hand he holds a rawhide shield to which is attached an amulet that assured him success on horse raids. A riding whip with a wooden handle hangs from a fur loop around his opposite wrist. With that hand he supports a long bow-lance tipped with a metal spearhead. Ribbons of soft, cured bear entrails, smeared with red paint, decorate the bow-lance. Maximilian said this weapon was only "for show." Spears and bow-lances figured in the ceremonies of the military societies of many Plains tribes. Pitätapiú was pictured with another Assiniboin man (see Plate 202) in Tableau 32 of the atlas of aquatints. Both individuals were painted at Fort Union in June of 1833.