The Headband

The central theme of the Headband is the eye of the Great Spirit surrounded by the four winds of heaven. The feathered arrow designs which extend right and left from the central symbol represent the useful services of father and son. Whenever outstanding accomplishment existed, the Indians noted it. Its significance was recognized, often in the form of feathers. The fact that the father and son achievements are united in the center of the design is interpreted to mean that fathers and sons together, under the eye of the Great Spirit, are seeking to help each other in the services they render.

To the right is the symbol of the mother and home. A line connects the mother symbol with the teepee, or home symbol. The fact that it is a home symbol is shown by the fire in the teepee. These symbols add to the richness of the central theme for it is in service to mother and home that many of the more significant achievements of father and son will take place.

Far to the right are symbols of day and forest. Far to the left are symbols of mountain, lake, field, and stream, with the moon for night. Here again, these symbols tend to enrich the central theme, giving broader scope to services by centering the efforts of father and son in village and community life, and as the ritual says, “in forest, field and stream.” Briefly stated, the headband may be interpreted in these words: “Father and son, through friendly service to each other, to our family, to this tribe, and to our community, seek a world pleasing to the eye of the Great Spirit.”