This sculpture, originally called Scalp Dance, was the second of three groups Russell modeled to be cast in bronze during his stay in New York in January 1905. The subject was probably based in part on the artist’s experiences the previous summer, when he was a guest at the Sun Dance ceremonies held by the Indians at Fort Belknap. Russell was among several who gained permission to observe the proceedings as special guests. After a few days of preparation, Russell and the others witnessed at least sixteen sham battles reenacting historical encounters between Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Crees, and Gros Ventres. Over the next several days they watched dances devoted to many aspects of vanishing tribal life and customs. Sumner Matteson, a photographer and friend of Russell’s who was also in attendance, wrote: “These dances were the occasion for the display of such an array of bare skin, buckskin, paint, quills, beads, shells, teeth, feathers, and weasel skins as I never hope to see again.” Russell was well aware that the ceremonies’ religious overtones, characteristic of the days before the coming of the white man, had been supplanted by an atmosphere of entertainment. In this sculpture, he sought to depict a dance from an earlier time, when war between the tribes was common. The bronze displayed here is an example of the second version of the sculpture, copyrighted by Nancy Russell in 1928 under the title War Dancers. The first version, known as Scalp Dancers, is much more highly detailed; two copies of the bronze are known to have been cast in March 1905 at Roman Bronze Works. Nancy Russell retained one of these casts, but she sold it in 1927 to George D. Sack, a noted collector of Russell bronzes. It is known that Russell himself created the later version called the War Dancers in late 1925, by altering the original plaster model of the Scalp Dance.