Indigenous Handcrafted Choker - Buffalo Bone Hairpipe & Carnelian

These are one of a kind and will never be made like this again.

--Choker length (bead to bead) 13 in.

--Full length (tip to tip) 25 in.

--Leather

--Agate

--Buffalo Bone Hairpipe beads

Historically, Native chokers functioned as a form of protection for tribal warriors—guarding the jugular and deflecting arrows from the neck in battle. Sometimes they were attached to full breastplates as well since bone is a very strong and nearly impenetrable natural resource.

Chokers were often a sign of wealth in Indigenous culture, and wearing one was an indication of high social ranking. They were also sometimes worn during certain tribal ceremonies.

The Native bone choker served not only to protect a warrior physically but spiritually as well. Specifically, the choker was thought to protect the voice and provide great speaking abilities to the wearer. The bone choker would guide the warrior to speak the truth directly from the heart.

The spirit of the animal that made the choker was believed to be invoked when worn. In fact, some Natives had vision dreams about specific animals and asked the tribe’s Medicine Man to make the necklace for them. Bone chokers were usually made by the Medicine Man so that they could use their spiritual power to infuse the piece with protection and powers—giving it special and personal meaning to the individual wearer. The number of strands used to make it was sometimes believed to hold specific meaning too.

Lastly, the bone choker was considered a way to honor life and respect the sacrifice of the animal whose remains were used to create it. Native culture is very in tune with nature and believes every one of its elements has its own spirit that should be held sacred. For this reason, every available functional part of an animal is used after death.