1885 – Today Alive

"WHEN A MAN MOVES AWAY FROM NATURE, HIS HEART BECOMES HARD" - Lakota Proverb. What we did to our native brothers and sisters when we killed all the bison, we did to ourselves as well.  In 1885, the mighty herds of bison were finally reduced from nearly 35 million to barely 300.  Black hearts caused this decimation and unnecessary destruction, and new hearts were needed to slowly and steadily bring the bison back from the brink of extinction.  Today, ranching by both Native and non-native people in North America has grown the bison population to over 500,000.  I designed this red melton wool cape to tell this story of loss and life.  The back is embroidered with a pile of skulls as seen in a famous photo when proud white men struck a pose on top and next to their heinous deed.  The front shows flowers growing back through skeletal remains, as a sign of life after death. Lined with plaid checked wool suiting. When the hood is pulled up, appliquéd bison horns appear.  A portion of the sale of this piece will be donated to the Montana Bison Association, a group I have been a member of for over ten years.  This one-of-a-kind piece fits narrow and large shoulders.  Cape is dry clean only.  Hood is removable, and the bison fur can be simply brushed clean with Lana's Natural Fur Cleaner (see below). It is also safe to dry clean both the cape and fur. Price includes USPS Priority Shipping.  Handling Fee applied at checkout.