Welcome in the old age of Plains Indian bows.

Thakintazipa in Lakhota language means "sinew bow". For Plains cultures bows were not only a weapon, but also religious and sacred objects to survive in a very powerful and dangerous environment. Studying all available materials about native culture, I was missing one of the most important issues. A lot of anthropologist studied only war societies, religion, history etc., but only a few of them recorded information about hunting rituals and the importance of the usage of bows.

This fact was due to the time, when these scientists were collecting data about Plains cultures, the end of the 19th. and the early 20th. century, and all hunting societes, songs, rituals or others issue belonging to hunting, had already gone or had been irreversibly forgoten. This is one of the biggest gaps in the history of the life among Plains native cultures. 

Today a lot of bowyers make "Plains bows" very different from the original ones, either due to misunderstandig of the fuction of short sinew bows or due to a lack of knowledge. For instance, when you check the internet, you will find lots of these bows, longer then the original ones, with crazy painting, different shapes or some non-traditional adjustments etc. It is the same with arrows.

Many errors are also due to misinterpretation of some study cases. For example Mr. Saxton Pope stated that he used leg sinews, because the best and most appropriate back sinews were very difficult to obtain in his time. So today, many bowyers and followers of Saxton Pope, like Mr. Laubin, have been using these short sinews for backing. Another example of a misunderstanding is the categorical usage just of a limited number of woods. Like in the case of Osage Orange (Maclura Pomifera)., which is one of the best woods and its usage is very often underestimated. A lot of critics  say, that they are only very few bows in museum collections, because  Osage Orange was not available on the Plains. But what about ancient hunting territories reaching far down to the South, migration and trade? So for example we can find Californian bows among the Plains tribes as well.

If we can't find something in the collections, this doesn't mean that it did not exist or there was just a small amount of it.

I can't say, that Plains sinew bows are the best bows in the world, but they definitly are most effective where they were needed and for the purpose they were developed and used for. I'm just fascinated by their elegance, power and sacredness. 

For many years of studying I have been trying to keep old traditions of making sinew bows and arrows alive, following originals and procedures, without any changes or adjustments to keep the shape and design of Plains bows pure and as close as possible to their originals. The only thing I change is the design but only following old rules I have studied. And sometimes I make a copy of an original for a special purpose or request. 

Therefore my bows have such an authentic look and are so powerfull in shooting for horse archery, hunting and living history purpose.