Guardians of the Herd

Two young Dakota boys are depicted fulfilling the job of watching the horse herd. The warm afternoon sun has taken its toll and both of them have fallen asleep.

Life in Lakota was much different than today, and the popular saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" was particularly true on the plains. The very name "Lakota" can be translated as family because their village was considered a large extended family. Remote degrees of kinship were recognized and first cousins were known as brothers and sisters. The basic household consisted of a man, wife, and children, all under one roof.

Children were cherished above all else and were trained by everyone in the clan. Life on the plains was often difficult: times of hunger and danger were prevalent. Children have to take positions of responsibility early in life. Every member of the village had many jobs so that all could survive, and tasks were gender-defined to train children for later roles in the life in the village. Girls learned skills beside their mothers, grandmothers, and aunts while boys were trained by the male members of the clan to become future hunters and warriors. Their toys were small bows, arrows, and lances and other tools of the adult.

The introduction of horses to the people of the plains completely changed their lives. It has been said that no other culture made such a sudden and dramatic shift than the plains tribes did after they obtained horses. They became more mobile and able to better follow and hunt buffalo. Because their horses were so important, all of the tribal members were responsible for the care of them. Babies spent many of their earliest days being carried on the backs of the horses and learned to ride almost before they could walk. Mothers would sometimes assign an older, gentler horse to baby-sit by tying the cradleboard to its back, and letting it rock the baby to sleep while she did her chores.

The job assigned to the two Lakota boys in Guardians of the Herd is therefore vital. They are not expected to defend the horses, but have to raise an alarm if the herd is threatened in any way. Both of the boys have fallen asleep and are lying on the backs of the horses. One of them faces the sun and the other one has fallen forward with his head resting on the horses shoulder. Arrows have fallen from his quiver and lay at the horses' feet. While they are adorable sleeping on the back of the faithful pony, if they are caught they will be in big trouble. We hope that they will awake to find everything as peaceful as this moment so beautifully captured in this heart-warming bronze.

Please contact Meyer-Milagros Gallery for pricing information.