Strike-a-Light Bag

Because Plains Indian clothing had no pockets, specialized cases made to hang from the belt were created for tools and personal effects. Strike-a-light bags were so named because they were made originally to hold flint, steel and tinder for fire-making, but they were also used during the early reservation era to store ration cards. The intricately beaded design incorporates a house-like image often seen on Kiowa beadwork, but its specific meaning remains unknown outside native oral tradition. The fringe of metal cones produced a soft, tinkling sound with the slightest movement.