08/31/2026
🪶The Lakota word for a male elk is heȟáka, and the word for a female elk is uŋpȟáŋ.
A Lakota elk dreamer named Oku'te explained that since two elk teeth remain long after the rest of the body crumbles, the ivory became an enduring emblem of a long life and lasting legacy.
Giving an elk ivory to a woman represented a hunter's high devotion, respect, and strength. Brothers traditionally saved and gifted elk ivories from their hunts to their sisters, while a husband would gift them to his wife.
Because each elk carries only two ivories, collecting enough teeth to decorate a traditional hide dress required numerous successful hunts or valuable trading (historically, around 100 teeth could buy a good horse). Wearing an elk tooth dress publicly honored a hunter's skill and a family's standing in the community.
