This bag was made during the early reservation period, after the United States government outlawed the Lakota’s annual Sundance and instituted Fourth of July celebrations in its place. During this time, the American flag and interpretations of the Great Seal of the United States became popular beadwork motifs. The artist may have made the container as a special gift. Earlier, in nomadic times, this same type of object transported belongings from one camp to the next and also ornamented the inside of the tipi.