Treasures from Our West: Lone Dog’s winter count
December 5, 2015
Originally featured in Points West in Winter 2011
A winter count is a record of tribal history. Each year the keeper of the count added one symbol, representing a significant event from that year. Lone Dog’s count, painted and drawn on muslin, records the years 1800 to 1871, beginning in the center and spiraling out counter-clockwise.
Winter counts were originally painted on buffalo robes and were often maintained through several generations and shared with other tribal members to help them remember their histories.
Lone Dog, winter count. Sioux. NA.702.5
Post 135
Written By
Nancy McClure
Nancy now does Grants & Foundations Relations for the Center of the West's Development Department, but was formerly the Content Producer for the Center's Public Relations Department, where her work included writing and updating website content, publicizing events, copy editing, working with images, and producing the e-newsletter Western Wire. Her current job is seeking and applying for funding from government grants and private foundations. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys photography, reading, flower gardening, and playing the flute.
You May Also Like
Philip R. Goodwin, or, A Child Prodigy Runs Afoul of the 20th Century
Apr 21, 2025
It was December, and I had just walked into the...
Treasures from Our West: Wild Bill Hickok Revolver
Dec 20, 2019
Originally featured in Points West magazine in Summer 2019 Wild...
Belted Kingfisher: A Water Dependent Bird
Jul 09, 2025
Belted King Fisher in Carondelet Park, St. Louis, Missouri ©...
Buffalo Bill’s Greatest Prop: The Storied Ride of the Deadwood Coach
Jun 24, 2025
William Cody's Deadwood Coach. Gift of Olive and Glenn E....
Museum Minute: An Unusually Shaped Water Vessel at the Plains Indian Museum
Jul 11, 2025
At the Plains Indian Museum, most of the water vessels...
Treasures from Our West: Winchester Calendar, 1894
Jan 03, 2020
Originally featured in Points West magazine in Summer 2019 Winchester...
Treasures from Our West: “Winchester Herald” covers with baseball bat and mitt
Jan 17, 2020
Originally featured in Points West magazine in Summer 2019 Winchester...
A Spirited Wild West Volley – Points West Online
Jul 10, 2024
Originally published in Points West magazine History EditionWinter 2022 A...
A Masterpiece Finds a New Home at the Center: Bierstadt’s ‘Wind River Country, Wyoming’
Feb 03, 2025
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming,...
Earn Your Spurs – Points West Online
Jul 22, 2024
Originally published in Points West magazine Spring 2023 The Way...