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The four worlds on the Star Robe and the Blanket Strip represent:
- Conscious spirit world beyond the Milky Way
- Star altar in the sky
- Sundance altar on the ground
- Unconscious spirit world below wind cave
The star quilt, star robe and blanket with a beaded strip are symbols to show
a philosophy or way of life. Whenever
Lakota
were asked to wear their fin-
est for portraits, they always made sure to drape the robes over their arm or
across their shoulders. This symbolized that they followed the way of the
Sun Dance or Medicine Wheel.
A person who wore this robe believed in these seven world views:
- The Spirit becoming Human
- The Medicine Wheel
- The Sun Dance
- The Black Hills
- The Sacred Altar
- The Ancestors
- The Ceremonies
During the assimilation process, those who did not want to assimilate re-
tained the blanket, hence the derogatory term applied to them by the Army
of „blanket“ Indians.
The star robe, or what is commonly called the Chief‘s Blanket, was a symbol
of the
Lakota
Way of Life expressed in the Sundance and the Sweat Lodge.
Other names for the blanket or robe are:
Sina Ikceka
- Original Buffalo Robe
Sina Cankohan
- Beaded Blanket Strip
Sina Wicahpi
- Star Robe
Sina Okpate
- Quilled Robe
