A warbonnet is an eagle-feather headdress worn by some Indigenous people of the Great Plains, often in ceremonial settings or historically in battle. Warbonnets originated among the Oceti Sakowin (especially the Lakota) and spread to other groups, including the Cheyenne and Kiowa. Historically, warriors earned eagle feathers for brave deeds in battle. Because of this, warbonnets were usually for men, though there were exceptions. Today, both men and women can receive warbonnets for various achievements, including nonviolent ones such as earning a degree. Warbonnets have different styles, some trailing down the back and others creating a halo. Eagle feathers are central because of the eagle's role in Plains traditions as a messenger between humans and the Creator. Though collecting eagle feathers is generally illegal, members of federally recognized tribes can own them due to their spiritual and cultural importance.

Who traditionally wore warbonnets?

Traditionally, warbonnets were worn by some Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains as symbols of accomplishment. They likely originated among the Oceti Sakowin (especially the Lakota) and spread to other groups like the Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and Kiowa. Historically, warbonnets were generally reserved for men, as eagle feathers were earned through brave deeds in battle. It was rare for a woman to receive one. In modern times, both men and women may be given a warbonnet for various achievements, including nonviolent ones such as earning a degree.

What materials are used to make a warbonnet?

Warbonnets have different styles, with some trailing down the back and others creating a halo around the face or standing straight up. Eagle feathers, typically from the golden eagle, hold a place of honor in warbonnets because of the eagle’s role as a messenger between humans and the Creator in Plains traditions. Enrolled members of federally recognized tribes can legally own eagle feathers due to their spiritual and cultural significance. Other feathers, such as those from the red-tailed hawk or kestrel, may be used as side feathers. Animal hide is typically used for the bands or skullcaps. Before the mid-19th century, porcupine quills often decorated the bands, but beadwork became more common later on. Other materials like horsehair, ermine fur, and downy feathers can further ornament the headdresses.

What is the cultural significance of the warbonnet?

The warbonnet is an eagle-feather headdress worn by some Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, originally among the Oceti Sakowin (especially the Lakota). Historically, warriors earned eagle feathers for acts of bravery in battle, such as counting coup, and warbonnets were generally reserved for men. Today, both men and women may receive warbonnets for various achievements, including nonviolent ones like earning a degree. The warbonnet is primarily used in ceremonial situations, but some warriors wore them into battle, where they could never be surrendered. The tradition is threatened as fewer members of younger generations learn to construct them.

How were warbonnets earned or awarded in Native American cultures?

Historically, warbonnets were given to male warriors who earned eagle feathers for courageous acts in battle, such as striking an enemy. Warbonnets are eagle-feather headdresses worn by some members of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains as indicators of accomplishment. Today, warbonnets are presented to both men and women for various nonviolent achievements, such as earning a degree. Eagle feathers are important to warbonnets because, in Plains traditions, eagles are considered messengers between humans and the Creator. The bands or skullcaps of warbonnets are typically made of animal hide and decorated with porcupine quills or beadwork. Because Euro-Americans had limited exposure to Native American cultures, they came to see the warbonnet as a common element of Indigenous fashion, not an honor for important warriors or leaders. Cultural appropriation of the warbonnet is now viewed as disrespectful.

Why is it important to respect the meaning and use of warbonnets today?

It is important to respect the meaning and use of warbonnets today because they are a significant cultural property of Great Plains tribes. Cultural appropriation of the warbonnet is disrespectful and mischaracterizes Indigenous peoples as a homogenous group. Historically, warbonnets were earned through brave deeds in battle and were generally reserved for men, though in modern times, both men and women can receive them through nonviolent achievements. Warbonnets hold significant cultural purpose and are worn only by community leaders on special occasions or as an earned honor. Respecting this tradition means avoiding the separation of the warbonnet from its original cultural meaning. Wearing warbonnets without understanding or honoring their significance is a form of cultural appropriation, which is a lack of thoughtful and respectful engagement with others.

Warbonnet

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Warbonnet

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Nov. 7, 2026 •History

Construction

Warbonnets come in several different styles. Some trail down the back, while others create a halo around the face or stand straight up. Eagle feathers take pride of place in warbonnets because of the eagle’s special place in Plains traditions, where they are considered messengers between human beings and the Creator. These feathers typically come from the golden eagle. While it is generally illegal to collect or own eagle feathers under United States federal law, Title 50 Part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which is often referred to as the “Eagle Feather Law,” allows for the use of eagles and parts of eagles for a number of scientific, educational, administrative, and religious purposes. This regulation makes owning eagle feathers legal for enrolled members of federally recognized tribes because of the feathers’ spiritual and cultural significance to Native American and First Nations peoples.

Other elements of the warbonnet vary. Feathers of other birds, such as the red-tailed hawk or kestrel, are used as side feathers. The bands or skullcaps of warbonnets are typically made of animal hide. Before the mid-19th century, the bands were often decorated with designs made out of porcupine quills. Beadwork decorations became more common toward the end of that century and largely displaced quillwork because of the ease with which beads could be worked. Other materials such as horsehair, ermine fur, and downy feathers may also be used to further ornament the headdresses.

Warbonnets then and now

RidingA group of A'aninin men ride on horseback, one in a warbonnet, c. November 19, 1908.

Warbonnets likely originated among the Oceti Sakowin peoples (the Lakota, in particular). From there they spread to other groups, including the Apsáalooke, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, and Kiowa. Historically, a warrior earned eagle feathers for brave deeds in battle, such as counting coup, a practice where a warrior struck an enemy with his—Plains warriors were almost always male—hand or a certain rod. Because eagle feathers were awarded for martial achievement, warbonnets were generally reserved for men; for a woman to receive one was rare (the first Lakota woman known to be given a warbonnet, Minnie Hollow Wood, earned hers at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876). While the primary use of a warbonnet was ceremonial, some warriors chose to wear theirs into battle. Once in combat, a warrior could never surrender his bonnet.

In the modern day, warbonnets are given to both men and women and can be earned through a variety of nonviolent achievements, such as earning an educational degree. However, some groups are finding it difficult to carry on the tradition. The art of constructing warbonnets is becoming less common, as older generations pass away and younger generations show little interest in taking up the work.

Beyond the Plains

Owing to their limited exposure to Native American cultures—a non-Native in the mid-1800s might see traditionally garbed people from the Great Plains only in paintings, such as the works of Karl Bodmer or George Catlin—Euro-Americans came to think of the warbonnet as a common element of Indigenous fashion rather than an honor reserved for important warriors or leaders. Consequently, members of non-Plains tribes began wearing the headdresses in the late 1800s in order to appeal to tourists, who had come to expect them. This misunderstanding became further exacerbated by 20th-century mass media, especially western films and television. In some contexts, perhaps most notably at music festivals, non-Indigenous peoples and others began wearing the headdresses themselves.

Native American representatives and activists made an effort to reclaim the warbonnet as the cultural property of Great Plains tribes, arguing that cultural appropriation of the warbonnet is disrespectful and contributes to the mischaracterization of Indigenous peoples as a homogenous people. In the 2010s their work bore fruit; entertainers who wore warbonnets at their performances received enough backlash to elicit apologies, while high-profile music festivals started to ban the wearing of warbonnets at their events.

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