With the westward expansion of the new settlers, treaties of trade and peace were arranged for safe passage through Indian lands. As a token of high esteem, many times an ornate rifle would be presented to the chief of the tribe. The rifle was considered powerful medicine, being capable of both sustaining life by making meat or taking life by making war. To receive an embellished rifle was a great honor and the rifle was highly prized by its owner.
Rifles were also captured from the soldiers by the Indians and put into Indian service. While some of those captured guns were also decorated and tacked, it was the ornate rifles - the presentation guns - that were most prized. Sadly, few Indian guns have survived the ravages of time.
Today, Nidichi perpetuates the mystique and Indian gun saga in an art form that few others have mastered. Nidichi enjoys mixed medium sculpture and his Indian rifles are fine examples of his talent of blending metal and fine wood into extraordinary art.
Each Nidichi Indian Rifle is hand-crafted of the materials and in the same manner as the rifles of the 19th century. However, Nidichi makes it very clear that he is not attempting to copy any specific rifle from history and deplores efforts to fake original artifacts. In fact, it is his pet saying that, No sacred grounds or objects were molested in the creation of his “art-ifacts”.
Each Nidichi Indian Rifle is hand-crafted of the materials and in the same manner as the rifles of the 19th century. However, Nidichi makes it very clear that he is not attempting to copy any specific rifle from history and deplores efforts to fake original artifacts. In fact, it is his pet saying that, No sacred grounds or objects were molested in the creation of his “art-ifacts”.
It is his method to create an original design that honors the past but one that could never be mistaken for and sold as an historic piece. To that end, he utilizes a rare and unique firearm design known as an underhammer rifle. Within that basic form he melds beautiful walnut, steel, and an octagon barrel with tasteful embellishment to create an authentic one-of-a-kind rifle that would be prized by the greatest of chiefs or the fussiest of collectors.
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| The Spirit of the Rifle is depicted on the right side of the buttstock. |
The rifle featured here lacks the adornment which is typical of Nidichi Indian guns. However, this piece is what was commissioned as a presentation to a tribal judge of the Nez Perce Nation. In addition to the traditional brass tacks, Nidichi employs graphic inlays in the walnut stock which depict the Spirit of the Hunt and the Spirit of the Rifle.
The rifle was blessed, as is typical of all Nidichi art and contains a prayer written on a piece of elk hide which is hidden within a secret compartment in the stock of the rifle. The prayer asks the blessing of the Great Spirit upon the one who uses the rifle to make meat in reverence of all life, as it is intended to be an implement for sustaining life and not for the making of war.
The rifle was blessed, as is typical of all Nidichi art and contains a prayer written on a piece of elk hide which is hidden within a secret compartment in the stock of the rifle. The prayer asks the blessing of the Great Spirit upon the one who uses the rifle to make meat in reverence of all life, as it is intended to be an implement for sustaining life and not for the making of war.
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| The Spirit of the Hunt is depicted on the left side of the buttstock. |
outstanding example of Nidichi's unique gunmaking skill.
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Nidichi's "basic" Indian guns as seen above command $5000. Due to various state and local regulations, Nidichi will craft his rifles to be non-firing curios or fully functional rifles according to the wishes of the client. Included with each rifle is a beautifully-crafted soft case of long-fringed elk hide. Please contact us at: Nidichi@RadicalConcepts.info for more information about Nidichi's Indian Rifles.
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