See now Russ your eyes still work .
The sword looks like a Japanese Samurai Katana because that’s what it is
The photo is of Dog child/ Duck Necklace and his wife “Only Handsome Woman “ from 1890
Dog child was a scout for the North West Mounted Police . His job was to protect the borders of the Blood Reserve, checking for trespassers and illegal liquor traffic.
Many folks have speculated that maybe this was a prop . But myself I don’t think so as there are other photos of the cabin of Dog Child , showing the sword on the wall .
Where he got it ? Boy that’s anyone’s guess . By the late 1800’s the Japanese had some
Large villages in western Canada . By 1907 Japanese high ranking emissaries were visiting .
but we also should remember that the Japanese had recourded contact here as early as 1610 .
Okay, now that's just cool.
An RCMP-enabled, native/Res scout, with the RCMP gear and a katana.
Very, very bad juju to pick a fight with.