Price of Honor

The prize object for a young Indian Brave to obtain was a tail feather from a Bald Eagle.

The obtaining of the feather was accomplished in many different ways. The most common was to build a false nest over a shallow pit. The young Indian would trap a rabbit and tie it to the top of the nest. The boy would then crawl into the pit, under the nest, and wait for the eagle to come and snatch the rabbit. The young Indian would then reach through the nest and grab the eagle by the leg and reach up with the other hand and pluck a feather from the tail.

However, the true test of bravery was to face the eagle in the open. This bronze, "Price of Honor", shows a young brave who has climbed to the nesting eagle to snatch a tail feather. Things did not always go as planned and sometimes the eagle had the advantage. This young Blackfoot will pay the price with a short fall and no tail feather.