The Gatekeeper is the distinctive third and final masterwork in Dave McGary’s Strongheart Warrior Society trilogy. McGary depicts the valiant Teton Sioux Warrior, Iron Thunder on his war horse as he taunts his enemy to battle by proudly waving his Strongheart’s staff.

Iron Thunder’s face is painted with the Strongheart’s signature black-and-white war paint and he is cloaked in a green beaded war shirt and buckskin leggings, as in the two prior works in the series, “Point of No Return” and “In Victory I Stand”. Five eagle honor feathers are tied to his scalp lock. His regalia is comprised of his decorated shield, which has his personal design; his bow and arrow in the quiver strapped on his back, and a distinctive trade ax which has a heart-shaped hole in the blade.

“In Victory I Stand”, Iron Thunder is the battle-weary and exhausted warrior who stands poised and ready to defend his tribe, even though the battle is over. In “Point of Return”, he is the courageous, fearless, and focused warrior, staked to the ground, with his bow drawn in anticipation of the onset of battle.
In “The Gatekeeper”, the warrior’s jet black horse’s neck is beautifully arched and aggressively fights the bit in his mouth, as he pulls back on the reins. The horse wears a beaded face mask, feathers, and a blanket with beaded edge.

The respected Strongheart Warrior Society was organized by three prominent Teton Sioux chiefs, Sitting Bull, Gall, and Crow King who assembled a group of fearless warriors with unquestioned loyalty and bravery. These warriors had proven themselves both in their daily lives as extraordinary individuals, and as fighters in battle. Each was chosen for their strength, bravery and patience. They promised to bravely defend their tribe, take care of the needy and poor and maintain good moral character.

The Lakota society recognized equally the contributions made by the man, woman and the spirits in human life. Each individual had a key role. The child’s father was thought to contribute the bone and other hard substances and the mother, gave the child flesh and blood.

On raids and in actual battles, each warrior wore a distinctive headdress, a bonnet made of buffalo hair with a pair of split buffalo horns attached to the caps sides. Extending down the back was a streamer of golden eagle tail feathers which were attached to red trade cloth. By society code those members who had never shown cowardice and had been successful in war could be buried with their war bonnet on their head. Any warrior who had demonstrated war cowardice was reprimanded in the presence of all the members and had his headdress taken away.

Each Strongheart warrior carried a sharpened staff, called a “waving banner”, which had feathers fastened horizontally to a strip of red flannel trade cloth. These played a vital role in the battle. Female relatives of the warriors killed in battle carried these to ceremonies and parades to remind the tribe of the sacrifice made by their Strongheart family members.

Before each battle one member was given a high honor and was chosen to demonstrate exceptional bravery. During battle the warrior would position himself on the battlefield and then stake one end of his sash to the ground with his staff. He then stood and fought any enemy that came near, fighting until either his death or the foe was defeated. Only a fellow society member was permitted to uproot the planted staff, as it made him a key target of opposing warriors because it marked him as a brave and valuable person. It was believed that any warrior who could defeat him would gain highest honor for himself and would achieve great respect among his own people.

The women of the Strongheart Society were important members who possessed the same warrior values and qualities of bravery, self reliance, strength, fortitude, freedom of choice, and patience. Europeans and others were awed by their abilities. These women were given high praise when they showed exceptional bravery, such as defending their family from attack.

Masterwork Bronze with Patina and Paint,
Edition of 40, Year Cast 2006