JIM NORTON
Maza Waken, oil, 52˝ by 40
“Maza Waken was the name the Sioux gave the gun. They believed it was a very mystical item and that it had great power. The Plains Indians had some guns, but obtaining ammunition was very difficult, so they preferred the bow and arrow for hunting and war. In the 1800s, an Indian could shoot 12 arrows in 60 seconds, while a gun could only be shot once and then had to be reloaded.”
34 ART of the WEST • May/June 2011
