Beaver Tail Knife: This knife wields a 6 3/4 x 1 11/16’’ Cohola Flint blade that has been hafted to a 5 1/2’’ American walnut handle with pine pitch. Simulated sinew, rusted bells, tacks, leather, turkey and simulated eagle feathers have been used on this knife. The total length is 12 1/4’’.

The legend of the knife states of a young Piegan (Pikuni; a Blackfoot Tribe) warrior out on a vision quest. He stumbled upon a cave to which he found a mother grizzly bear and her cubs. He pleaded with her not to harm him, and she adopted him as her own for four days. On the last night a vision came to him where the bears took pity on him. While the father bear gave him many things, it was the mother bear that gave him the knife. She threw this knife at him, and he grabbed it in the air. She then gave him the song, “A knife is just like dirt thrown against me.” The warrior then took this song and their teachings and copied their knife. From here he led many victorious battles, always protected by the bear knife and its powerful medicine. It was he who passed it onto to other Blackfoot warriors, as the knife became a coveted Blackfoot war medicine.

In 1847, there were only slightly more than half a dozen bear knives among the Blackfoot tribes. This was because only a very brave man dared to become a member. To join the warrior society, the individual would purify himself, and enter naked the current members lodge which was embedded with thorns. The member would perform rituals and then would suddenly push the hopeful member into the thorns and throw the knife at him. If he was to catch it, then he was worthy of this very powerful medicine, and the current member stated, “You gave your life for that knife. It will make you powerful.”

This warrior society was tremendously feared, and some claim that their enemies would flee upon sight of the knife. The Beaver Tail Knife, so called because of its shape, is fashioned in the likeness of this powerful Blackfoot medicine.

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