Fighting styles: Tomahawk and Knife

[Treestalker]

Some tribes absolutely do have martial arts. Okichitaw is recognized in Canada as a first nations martial arts.

Also the gunstock club is widely documented, however it's much smaller than the Hollywood version in LOTM. I have recreated one from solid oak off images from a private collection that was from the Iroquois confederacy.

From what I've been told tribes originally used them as a way to process nuts. This information was passed down to me from a tribal elder, however I have never verified that claim to be 100% factual.

Thank you Crewdawg for the info on martial arts and gunstock clubs. Geo.

 

[Crewdawg445]

My reproduction of the bagamaagan from solid white oak. Measuring 26.5" in length which is substantially smaller than the Hollywood version. The based image was from a collection in a museum in NC my brother was affiliated with. Styles varied from tribes and personal decor from various owners which made them each unique. Eastern versions tended to be smaller versus that of the western tribes. Use with the Lakota was common and often they were ceremonial in nature.

However wielding the weapon it indeed is all business and a very formidable device, which obviously was very effective.

However my preference still is the bikwaakwado-bagamaagan which is the ball headed club made from a root burl. Much more effective over the hawk and widely documented. When you "stick it home" no chances of it becoming lodged in your enemy.

 

[Black Hand]

Another option:

 

[Brokennock]

My reproduction of the bagamaagan from solid white oak. Measuring 26.5" in length which is substantially smaller than the Hollywood version. The based image was from a collection in a museum in NC my brother was affiliated with. Styles varied from tribes and personal decor from various owners which made them each unique. Eastern versions tended to be smaller versus that of the western tribes. Use with the Lakota was common and often they were ceremonial in nature.

However wielding the weapon it indeed is all business and a very formidable device, which obviously was very effective.

However my preference still is the bikwaakwado-bagamaagan which is the ball headed club made from a root burl. Much more effective over the hawk and widely documented. When you "stick it home" no chances of it becoming lodged in your enemy.

Thanks for sharing. Couple of questions. 1st, what is the finish on that ball club? It almost looks like it's entirely covered in leather.
And, do we know when the rifle stock looking club came into existence? I know you said it was originally a tool for crushing tree nuts, but do we know if it was developed post contact with Europeans and thus based on the shape of a rifle stock? Or developed independently and just coincidentally looks like a rifle stock?

 

[Black Hand]

 

[Crewdawg445]

Thanks for sharing. Couple of questions. 1st, what is the finish on that ball club? It almost looks like it's entirely covered in leather.
And, do we know when the rifle stock looking club came into existence? I know you said it was originally a tool for crushing tree nuts, but do we know if it was developed post contact with Europeans and thus based on the shape of a rifle stock? Or developed independently and just coincidentally looks like a rifle stock?

Unfortunately there really isn't any clear, concrete evidence of them predating pre contact. There are also multiple "theories" on exactly how they came to be. Most references regarding them came about during the later part of the 17th century and at that time they had been exposed to firearms of the period which it's clear they indeed were modeled after. Very common among eastern tribes and later use with many western tribes during the 1800's.

That to me IMO lays to rest the nut theory, while they surely could be used to process nuts likely the bit would be a hindrance, which would not be present. I'd take that like a grain of salt... However it came from a elder I highly respect.

The ball head is carved from a red oak root burl, no leather. The marks are from carving and I never bothered to remove them as I like the character, no leather but I can see how you would be curious of that, does look like leather come to think of it!