Watercolor of a Native American Church Teepee [SOLD]

This painting by Billey Kochee contains an assortment of symbols important to Native Americans.

The teepee with a background of poles is an insignia of the Native American Church, or Peyote Religion. The Native American Church, and the use of peyote as a means of achieving a trance, began in Pre-Columbian Mexico and spread to the Great Plains in the late 19^th Century. 

The buffalo skull symbol is frequently seen on shields of the Plains Indians. The buffalo stands for all that is important to the people. It is a reminder to be grateful for the gifts that are given by the creator.

The shield with a palm print and bear paw is a shield of protection. War Shields were used in battle as protection. Medicine Shields protect their user spiritually. This shield is painted on the teepee as a symbol of protection.

The four part circle in green, red and yellow is symbolic of Vietnam Veterans. Yellow is for the welcome home they never got. Green is for the jungles of Vietnam and red is for the blood shed of their brothers and sisters.

We have been unable to find any information about the artist. The painting is unframed and signed in lower right.  It is not dated.

Condition: original condition

Recommended Reading: The Sweet Grass Lives On: Fifty Contemporary North American Indian Artists by Jamake Highwater.  Billey Kochee is not included as an artist in this book.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.

Provenance: from the estate of a former client from New York.  We normally do not accept paintings for whom we know nothing about the artist, however, we agreed to accept this one because of the rich subject matter.