The lot features a historic Battle of the Little Bighorn Olakola Tiyospe (clannish group) band documented war club from Bear Stops Oglala Sioux Native American Indian of the 19th Century. Bear Stops was born in 1848, an Oyujkpe Oglala Lakota Sioux, and grew to be a great warrior being invited to join the Big Road’s band of True Oyunkpe and also joined the prestigious societies of the Heyota Akicita Warrior Society, Crow Onwer Society and Grass Dance Society. However, the most renowned special tiyospe (clannish group, band or society) he belonged to was the Olakola. The Olakola oath was “There will be no end if we should be friends”. Like the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers in valor and skill they differed in their band to fight as a group and never leave a soldier behind and would take care of each other’s family even into old age. Bear Stops was said to have fought in many battles incldugin Rosebud and the Little Bighorn riding with his special group of Olakola members. This club is said to bear the documentation of this rare scarcely heard of band. The piece was examined by Lakota Togia language expert Wendell Grangaard of The Guns of History, Inc and found to be marked in Togia by Bear Stops. The club is marked with such warriors as Red Horn Buffalo, Red Feather, Charging Hawk and Feather on Head along with bearing the marks of the three societies he belonged to and a special symbol representing the Olakola Tiyospe. It is also marked with other warriors he fought with such as White Bear, White Plume, Eagle Dog, Shell Boy, White Buffalo, Struck by Crow and Black Elk and the statement, “Brings Plenty – Kill Soldier War Club – Little Bighorn – Greasy Grass”. The story of the Olakola Band and Bear Stops was confirmed by Benjamin Black Elk who was given the documented story by his grandfather Black Elk Sr. who also belonged to the True Oyuhkpe Band of Big Road and a member of the Olakola Tiyospe. The war club shows a solid wood traditional gunstock pattern with crescent curved buttstock like top with angled section a third of the way down the club which holds the large spontoon lance spear triangular shaped blade being held into place with poured bullet led then showing a tapering haft with arrow shape cutout. The front of the club has a slightly curved flat sharp edge squared off finish and the rear of the club shows a gradually tapering curve which dips in at a point just above the gripping area and is rounded for a hand hold ending in the sharply pointed triangular pommel end which is pierced and would have held a drop of feathers or beadwork. The club also shows solid brass original square shank trade tacks in a circle around a four-point morning star incised carving and below a single band, shown on both sides. The top of the crescent curved club shows a typical zig-zag tooth like carving and just below the arrow pointing cutout is a eight-pointed sun. The blade is truly a very large spontoon representation showing slight raised median ridge shown near the tip running down the center with wide triangular blade having a sharp edge and point with large cutouts at the ear and rectangular shank. The piece is similar to the example shown in Harold L. Peterson’s “American Indian Tomahawk” 1965 book on page 88 figure / photograph 21 club two also from the 19th Century noteworthy due to its pierced decoration down the handle behind the spontoon blade along with brass tacks with the same overall gunstock shape. Provenance: From a historic Eastern Montana American Indian Collection where the piece was found to be an authentic original, one of the finest collections of American Indian weaponry and antiquities in Montana. Comes with Signed documentation from Wendell Grangaard and illustration of the togia language carvings. Measures 27”L by 15”W with a spontoon blade that is 8.75”L by 3”W.