05/03/2026
“For some Native peoples, the horse still is an essential part of daily life. For others, the horse will always remain an element of our identity and our history. The Horse Nation continues to inspire, and Native artists continue to celebrate the horse in our songs, our stories, and our works of art,” says curator Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota).
Our past exhibition “A Song for the Horse Nation” shares the history of the relationship between Native peoples and horses. When American Indians encountered horses—which some tribes call the Horse Nation—they found an ally, inspiring and useful in times of peace, and intrepid in times of war. Horses transformed Native life and became a central part of many cultures.
By the 1800s, American Indian horsemanship was legendary, and the survival of many Native peoples, especially on the Great Plains, depended on horses. Native peoples paid homage to horses by incorporating them into their cultural and spiritual lives, and by creating art that honored the bravery and grace of the horse.
Traditional horse masks were used to make the horse look intimidating on the battlefield, and possibly offer spiritual protection to both animal and rider. Mask makers decorate hide or fabric with beadwork, quillwork, feathers, fur, paint, and more. Common design motifs include geometric shapes, floral and natural elements, and tribe or family-specific symbols. Some families pass down masks, each generation adding to the design, and continuing to honor the Horse Nation with beautiful decoration during traditional gatherings such as tribal parades and giveaways.
This sculpture by multidisciplinary artist Marcus Amerman (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) creates the illusion that a horse could be just underneath the molded glass. One side is a field of black, as shown here, while the opposite is yellow, with cutouts for the ears, and a row of small white squares lining the throat on both sides. On the field of black, a yellow V-shape marks the mouth, and vice versa. The two sides are separated with a wide band of red with a thinner dashed line of white down the middle. Blue triangles set off both ends of the red band, from neck to muzzle, and encircle the eye cutouts.
Learn more with our online exhibition. https://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/horsenation/
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Marcus Amerman (Choctaw Nation Of Oklahoma, b. 1959), “Horse Mask,” 2008. Sante Fe County, NM. Handblown glass sculpture. 54.0 x 30.6 x 28.7 cm. Museum purchase from the artist, 2008. 26/7193
