Patterns and colour shades may vary slightly as each piece is handmade.

All prices are in Canadian dollars, and our shopping cart is with PayPal.  You may also send an international money order, payable to Kakwa.  Please be sure to include sufficient shipping costs as well - email us for details.

Wholesale pricing is available to retailers.  We also offer discounts for corporate and protocol gifts.  Please contact us for more details.

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The traditional body armour of the Plains warrior, breastplates could turn an arrow or lance point, and even deflect musket balls. These beautiful recreations are solidly constructed of genuine bone or black bison horn hairpipes, latigo leather straps, glass and solid brass beads, and are accented with either an abalone or mother-of-pearl concho. Strung with artificial sinew, each row is individually hand-knotted for added strength. The center row can be bone hairpipes, black bison horn hairpipes or .223 gauge brass rifle casings. Although designed as a wall ornament, they are also sturdy enough for pow-wow dancing.  Each breastplate comes with a descriptive tag.

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4-row Chokers: $ 60.00 each

The choker was another part of the armour worn by the First Nations on the Great Plains. Designed to protect the neck, it varied in width from a couple of rows to many, covering the entire throat and collarbone. Kakwa’s chokers are strung with bone, black bison horn, or white shell hairpipes, glass and solid brass beads, and are accented with either an abalone or mother-of-pearl concho. The use of heavy waxed cord and latigo leather ensure they are made to last.  Each choker comes boxed, with a descriptive tag.

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Purely ornamental, hairpipe necklaces were worn for centuries. Sometimes a single strand of hairpipes, there were also examples with glass or metal beads and pendants ranging from personal charms to peace medals. Our bone hairpipe necklaces feature one of two pendants - a carved "claw" from cow or bison horn, or a hand-flaked stone arrowhead made in the traditional way using stone and antler tools. The black bison horn hairpipe necklace has a real bison tooth. All of these classic 24-inch necklaces feature glass, solid brass and/or wooden beads with a brass hook & eye closure.  Each necklace comes boxed, with a descriptive tag.

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24-inch: $ 40.00 each

Dentalium is a salt-water mollusk that was a very valuable trade item on the Plains. They were used for jewellery, and to decorate clothing. Our single-strand dentalium shell necklace is 20-inches long. The focal point of these pieces is the genuine antique trade bead(s), accented with glass, solid brass and/or wooden beads. The 24-inch double dentalium shell necklaces use two strands combined into one eye-catching design featuring glass and solid brass beads, as well as a semi-precious stone bison flanked by matching stone nuggets.  Each necklace comes boxed, with a descriptive tag.
* Trade beads types subject to availability

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One of the original uses of wampum was as a form of communication - it was white settlers who later adopted it as currency. These lovely 18-inch necklaces use genuine shell wampum, glass, solid brass and/or wooden beads with a brass hook & eye closure. The highlight is the use of genuine antique trade bead(s) on each one.  Each necklace comes boxed, with a descriptive tag.
* Trade beads types subject to availability

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Wolf willow seeds were a form of decoration on the Plains. Dyed or left natural, they were sewn onto clothing or strung together as jewellery. Kakwa has turned this pre-contact form of adornment into a 20-inch necklace. The natural stripes of the wolf willow seeds are enhanced by the use of glass beads and semi-precious gemstone nuggets.  Strung on waxed cord for extra strength, each necklace comes boxed, with a descriptive tag.
 

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Each 14-16 inch shield is made from bison rawhide which is soaked, scraped and stretched over a willow frame. It is then staked out to cure, a process that takes approximately 10 days. The design is painted using natural earth pigments, rubbed with bear fat to protect the paint and adorned using traditional materials. Each shield is signed; a never-duplicated unique piece of art.  The photos (see Larger View) are of previous pieces - all are now sold.  Please check the What's New section for any pieces that are currently available.

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Traditionally hand-flaked stone arrowheads are nestled in their own neck pouch made from either deer, elk, moose or bison hide.  Each pouch comes bagged, with a descriptive tag.

SINGLE STONE or GLASS ARROWHEAD CARD
$ 4.00 each

A single hand-made arrowhead flaked from various types of stone or glass is featured on a display card with a brief write-up and bagged.

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These hand-painted deer or elk antler disc earrings have the design painted on both sides, so the image can be seen even if they swivel. The drops feature glass beads interspersed with semi-precious nuggets. Ear wires are hypo-allergenic stainless steel, and each pair comes bagged, with a descriptive tag.

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Matching traditionally hand-flaked stone arrowheads are the highlight of these unique earrings. They are hung on hypo-allergenic stainless steel ear wires and decorated with glass beads, and semi-precious gemstone nuggets.  Each pair comes bagged, with a descriptive tag.

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¾": $15.00 /pair

1": $20.00/pair

These simple yet elegant white abalone discs are hung on hypo-allergenic stainless steel ear wires - a popular alternative to the endangered conch shell.  Each pair comes bagged, with a descriptive tag

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The turtle is a very sacred animal to Aboriginal peoples, and the turtle shell smudge pouch is a Kakwa specialty item. The shell used is from a Red Ear Slider and is NOT restricted under C.I.T.E.S. The pouch itself is made from deer, elk, moose, or bison hide and is sewn directly into the shell. They are trimmed with real antique trade beads, and were traditionally used to store tobacco, sage, kinnikinnick, cedar, etc. Sizes and shell patterns vary, depending upon the turtles themselves, and are truly a one-of-a-kind item.  Each pouch comes with a descriptive tag.
*Subject to availability

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LEATHER BOOKMARKS
Plain: $ 4.00 each

Painted: $ 5.00 each

Each of these 4 designs are cut from deer hide and decorated with glass beads and pheasant feathers.  The decorated ones feature 4 different hand-painted designs in acrylics, while the plain ones are left unpainted so you can add your own personal touch, and each comes with a descriptive tag.
* Kakwa offers a discount on volume orders - you can stamp your own information on the grain side for giveaways, conferences, or as a value added feature for businesses.

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At approximately 5" long, these little fur-trimmed moccasins are an ideal gift for a new baby.  Hand-sewn from brain-tanned (white) or smoke-tanned (brown) deer, each pair are adorned with beadwork; either in a floral, animal, or geometric pattern.  Each pair comes with a descriptive tag.

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Beaded: $ 25.00 each

Strike-a-light pouches were originally designed with an overlapping flap to protect the contents of the pouch (flints, dry tinder, etc.) from the elements. Kakwa has two varieties of the classic strike-a-light: one has a belt loop sewn onto the back; the other features a neck strap. Both are hand-sewn from deer, elk, moose, or bison hide and have a genuine antique trade bead as a closure. These pouches are offered either unadorned or with a beaded accent.  Each pouch comes with a descriptive tag. 

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These lovely 6" willow and birchbark baskets are designed to hang on the wall near your door. When friends come over to visit, they symbolically put their problems in the basket so they can enjoy their visit. Our version is decorated with leather fringe, glass beads, tin cones and an abalone shell. Accented with sage, each basket comes with a descriptive tag and an accompanying "legend".

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This traditional frontier soap is hand-made from purified bison tallow (fat), lye, and water.  A very creamy texture  with tiny bubbles, each hand-cut bar is approximately 1.5" x 1.5" x 2", and weighs about 4 oz.  Wrapped in brown paper, this mild soap is very long-lasting, and is a unique gift for the person who says they have everything.

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These miniature elk rawhide shields are strapped onto a wooden tripod, and make an excellent display item or a unique table centerpiece. Featuring three classic designs painted with vivid acrylics, they are adorned with feathers and leather.  Design A-Bear Paw (left); Design B-Hailstones (centre); and Design C-Wolf Paw (right).  Each mini-shield comes with a descriptive tag

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These interpretations of ancient cave images are hand-painted onto 12" x 12" quartzite or slate tiles and then framed. Kakwa blends the paints by hand, using natural earth pigments and traditional protein binders. Each of these unique offerings of prehistoric imagery is signed by the artist and has a brief history of Paleo art on the back. The photos (see Larger View) are of previous pieces - all are now sold.  Please check the What's New section for any pieces that are currently available.

  
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These traditional willow hoop dreamcatchers are decorated with glass beads, natural pheasant feathers, and semi-precious gemstone nuggets.  Each dreamcatcher is approximately 6" (although the size will vary due to the nature of the willow), and each dreamcatcher comes with a descriptive tag.

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Bone Snowshoe Needle: $ 7.50 each

Bone Awl: $ 10.00 each

Bone was used to create most of the everyday working implements. Needles and awls were used for sewing, while snowshoe needles were for weaving snowshoe webbing, fishnets, lacrosse sticks, etc.  Each tool comes bagged, with a descriptive tag

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Hide scrapers (used to scrape hair off hides before tanning) were usually a hand-flaked stone blade lashed into a wood or antler handle.  After contact with Europeans, scrap metal was often used for blades as well.  Kakwa currently offers both styles of blades with a wooden handle only.  Each scraper comes with a descriptive tag.

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Stone-tipped Arrow: $ 25.00 each

Kakwa, using traditional stone and antler tools, has faithfully recreated stone arrowheads, lance points, and scrapers. We offer stone lance points and stone-tipped arrows with real sinew. Hand-flaked from jaspers, obsidians, cherts, and various agates, these points are of exceptional quality.  Each point comes boxed, with a descriptive tag, and every arrow comes with a descriptive tag.

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Puzzle bags were designed to protect the contents from both loss and busy little fingers...a pre-contact childproof container of a sort. Our version is hand-sewn from brain-tanned hide (white) or smoke-tanned (brown), and measures approximately 4 x 8 inches. Beautifully accented with floral beadwork, each bag comes with "opening" instructions, and a descriptive tag.

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A traditional hand/eye coordination skill-testing game is the bone toss. Also called the ring and pin game, our version has a bone pin, bone or antler weights, and a parfleche target.  Instructions are included, along with a descriptive tag.

RATTLER GAME 
$ 14.00 each

The Rattler Game is a hunting game used to develop tracking (by sound) skills. A group game, this version uses a hand-sewn rawhide ball. Instructions are included, along with a descriptive tag.

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Another unique item is the Woodland cattail doll. Hand-woven from cattail reeds, these dolls are very durable and were among the oldest of toys. Our version features detailing such as moccasins and braided hair.  Every doll comes with a descriptive tag.

TRADITIONAL HIDE DOLLS
Pre-contact: With leather dress and wolf willow seed necklace: 
$ 46.00 each

Trade-era: With cloth dress, hair ribbons and glass bead necklace:
$ 46.00 each

Baby: With leather mossbag with real moss in the bottom: 
$ 38.00 each

Dolls were made by nearly every culture, and these hide dolls are based on the leather dolls used by First Nations on the Great Plains. All three types are stuffed with leather and the doll's hair is black horsehair.  Every doll comes with a descriptive tag.

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Horse: With horsehair:

$ 46.00 each

Horse Colour

Black Sorrel (red) Buckskin White

Bison: With bison hair:                                                                                                    

$ 46.00 each

These animal dolls are based on similar dolls from the Great Plains area.  They are stuffed with leather and every doll comes with a descriptive tag.