This headpiece has a buckskin crown covered with ermine. The bison horns were split, polished and rubbed with red ochre on the back sides. Such a bonnet was worn by only select society members. It is said that such a bonnet could strike fear into the enemy and cause them to retreat, knowing they would be helpless against its power.

The ermine was associated with power and courage. In the summer it is called a weasel, but turns white in winter. It is a tiny creature, but will confront animals more than twice its size. This bravery caused Native Americans to admire the ferocious creature by attaching it to war items and thereby gaining the ermine’s power.

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