TWO ELK ENTERPRISE
Diversified Products and Services
ABOUT US:
BATTLE DRESS HISTORY
The Battle Dress we offer you evolved from traditional decorative arts my tribe developed
during the late 1800s'. Our Battle Dress is also further influenced by the styles of
decorative arts in contemporary periods. We've taken the combined essence of these
influences, enhanced them and sought to build on them in our unique style of Battle Dress.
THE HISTORY OF BATTLE DRESS
I began producing Battle Dress chokers again in 1992. I introduced Battle Dress jewelry
to retail stores throughout the Colorado Front Range region, including Denver and nearby
high country communities. Several retail outlets began to offer Battle Dress to their
customers.
Over the years we have sold Battle Dress jewelry at pow-wows, county fairs, cultural
festivals and conferences. Many people from Colorado and beyond have purchased and
enjoy their Battle Dress jewelry.
Lakota Battle Dress
Our particular style of Battle Dress does not offer a center dangle of hairpipe and
beads you might see commonly placed on hairpipe chokers today. We generally leave
this center piece off our chokers in order to replicate the 1890s' trade goods style.
In reviewing the works of Catlin, Bodimer, Curtis, Russell and Remington over the years
I saw that none of the chokers worn in that period, included this center dangle. So, in
following the style of that period we've selected to not offer the center dangle.
Contemporary Battle Dress
As mentioned earlier in the Hairpipe Information section, the resurgence of Hairpipe
jewelry received a critical push during the period of Indain activism of the 1960s' and
70s'. It was during this time that I learned to make the hairpipe chokers. I had also
made many chokers which included rows of spent shell casings, along with the hairpipe,
as an element of style. When I began making Battle Dress I carried on what I had learned
before and built on it with new innovations and design.
Our Battle Dress
From this experience over the years, we have demonstrated the market demand for our
type and quality of Battle Dress jewelry. We offer to you now, those products which
have proven themselves in the Indian Goods marketplace. In 2012, we bring to you the
best of Battle Dress!
WHO'S BEHIND BATTLE DRESS?
The making of Battle Dress at Two Elk Enterprise began as a family venture. I knew
how to make the chokers and so I refined the process and talked my children into
helping me out. They were still in middle and high school at the time, and still
young and impressionable. So, I told them what we could do with Battle Dress
and they agreed to help.
The Craft Makers of Battle Dress
I taught them and they taught me how to make the Battle Dress jewelry.
My experience and their exploration in the crafts materials and techniques allowed us to
collaborate on the development of our Battle Dress jewelry.
On weekends, vacations or when ever we needed help to fill an order, we'd all pitch in
and make Battle Dress, chokers, breastplates, bracelets and necklaces. Their Mom even
taught them fine peyote style beadwork and so they would help her meet orders for her
specialized beaded products.
They helped make a variety of specialized beaded items like, peyote stitched chokers,
necklaces, loom style bracelets, moccasins and bags.
So todays, I continue to build on and refine the process of making Battle Dress jewelry
and I call it TIPI INDUSTRIES.
Already, I have begun to take the lessons learned so far and to transform them into
information for small home business craftspeople like myself.
CHECK OUT OUR BATTLE DRESS!!!
OR
BACK TO THE TOP
