Most often the rawhides used for Warrior's Shields were made from skin cut from the shoulder area of a buffalo just behind the neck where the thickest skin was on the animal. A large circular piece of this skin was taken for the crafting of a shield. This large circular piece of skin was staked down on the ground over a hole dug approximately 18 inches deep. A portion of the edge of the hide was left unstaked allowing it to be lifted for the purpose of dropping red hot stones into the hole. Water was poured into the hole onto the hot rocks until the steam heat generated caused the skin to shrink and begin to stiffen. Before the full stiffening took place the still soft, pliant hide was staked down over a mound of earth to impart the convex shape as it dried and fully stiffened, giving it more deflective powers. After the shield had been given sufficient time to dry and fully harden, the craftsmen decorated the shield with pertinent symbols, usually symbols suggested by the Shaman or Medicine Man. As stated in the other post, sometimes the symbols would be painted directly onto the shield, while some tribes made a buck skin cover for the shield, in which case the buck skin cover would recieve the decoration.
Crow shields were usually painted with concentric red circles representing sun halos, the circles seen around the sun when a storm was comming. Sometimes small black dashes were added which represented pieces of the man so small that his enemies could not touch him. A shield belonging to Crow Chief Arapoosh bore a human image of the moon, which appeared to him in a vision. Shields were often used to predict success. Good fortune would ensue if, when rolled along the ground, they landed face up. Their landing face down, however, foretold disaster.
Hunkpapa Sioux shields were often adorned with feathers, sybols of birds, hoofs, rainbows and / or buffalo heads. Shields of Plains Indians often had feathers and bird imagery, which could impart everything from courage to swiftness to sharp night vision.
Cheyenne were one of the tribes which traditionally covered their shields with a decorated buck skin cover. Their shield covers were ususally decorated with feathers and the painted image of the sacred green turtle, which according to Cheyenne tradition supports the earth on it's back. The shield cover was not removed from the shield during combat because it's design was thought to be powerful medicine that would protect the warrior from harm.
The Pawnee shield often depicted the universe with numerous stars painted on the shield. The morning star was prominent and placed near the top center of the shield. The morning star figured in their creation stories and ceremonies.
As stated in the other post, the warrior's shield didn't offer much protection againts the white man's bullets, however, there are accounts of the shields actually stopping the lead balls fired from pistols and given sufficient range would also occasionally deflect rifle bullets.
DBC