Deerfoot, the Chief, uses the Blue Buffalo totem with his own added underneath.
Any bird, animal, tree or flower will do. It is better if it have some special reason.
One Tribe set out on a long journey to look for a totem. They agreed to take the first living wild thing that they saw and knew the name of. They traveled all one day and saw nothing to suit, but next day in a swamp they startled a Blue Heron. It went off with a harsh cry. So they became the "Blue Herons," and adopted as a warcry the croak of the bird — "Hrrrrr — Blue Heron." Another Band have the Wolf totem. Another the Flying Eagle, and yet another the Snapping-turtle.
DECORATIONS
The most important is, of course, the War Bonnet of Eagle feathers. This is a full record of the owner's exploits, as well as a grand decoration. It is fully described in "The Ladies' Home Journal" for July, 1902.
The feathers are made of white goose quill feathers, the tip dyed black, a leather loop is lashed to the quill end of each to fasten it onto the hat band. Each feather stands for an exploit and is awarded by the Council. If it was Grand Coup or High Honor the feather had a tuft of red horsehair lashed on the top.
