A seated Native American man holding a pipe tomahawk across his chest is the subject of this ninth plate tintype, housed in an embossed gilt frame with a rounded rectangular mat and floral border and corner ornaments. The format and case style suggest a date in the 1860s to 1870s, consistent with the tintype era. No photographer's imprint is visible.

The subject wears a dark garment with a vertical row of round brass or gilt buttons down the front and hand-applied color accents in yellow, teal, and red suggesting decorative ribbon or quillwork trim along the shoulders and chest. He holds a pipe tomahawk firmly across his torso with both hands, the combined axe blade and pipe bowl clearly visible as a single object. His dark hair falls loosely to his shoulders, feather or plant material is visible at the crown of his head, and his expression is composed and direct.

The pipe tomahawk was a uniquely North American hybrid object combining the functions of a weapon and a ceremonial smoking pipe, and was frequently exchanged between Native leaders and Euro-American diplomats as a symbol of alliance or status. Its prominent display in this portrait, held deliberately across the chest and facing the camera, signals the object's importance to the subject's identity and standing.