COUP STICKS
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COUP STICKS (WEAPONS) OF THE PLAINS INDIAN | COUNTING COUP
Counting coup was a relatively harmless act of bravery and war honor of the highest grade. Any blow struck against the enemy counted as a coup, but the most prestigious acts included touching an enemy warrior, with the hand or with a coup stick.The term is of French origin from the noun coup (pronounced /ku/) which means a hit, a blow or a strike. The expression can be seen as referring to "counting strikes". Coups were recorded by notches in the coup stick, or by feathers in the headdress of a warrior who was rewarded with them for an act of bravery.
Coup Stick of the Native American Indian
coup stick / counting coup
Lakota Sioux Coup Stick (based on a museum example)

PIEGAN COUP STICK (Southern Alberta)

This coup stick is based on a museum example that was formerly owned by White Swan (Northern Piegan). Coup stick shows horses he rode on war parties and scalps taken on raids. ca. 1870


Measures approx. 50 inches long, human scalp locks, made from an MGM bow used in movies (50's -60'), raw hide cotton calico, hide glue, clay paints, etc.

wrapped beads on deer or buffalo - this example measured approx. 35 inches long
plains indian coup stick

A beaded coup stick of this type of was widely used by many of the tribes of the Central and Northern Plains. This replica is Assinboin dating from around 1870The coup stick features size 11 seed beads - lots of them, a fold over beaded pendant (lazy stitched both sides) on deer skin, trade beads, feather and horse hair, etc.

 
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