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Lakota Dress
Introduction --
Symbols
Style
Legend of Grandmother Turtle
Video
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Symbolism in Lakota Dress
Roll over the image to see the symbol of the turtle

The beaded yoke is more than just a decoration. It shows a blue sky reflected in a prairie pond that is the home of the sacred turtle. The U-shape at the lower center of the yoke represents the turtle. In the creation stories of many Plains people, the Creator placed mud from under the sea on the back of the turtle to form the earth. The turtle came to be a protector of women since they too have the power of creation, by giving birth.

Pipe Bowl Elkhide Pipe Bag Shield Dress Bonnet Native Amercan History and Culture

 

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