Pipes were kept in medicine bundles with other sacred objects. Skin pouches or wrappings generally were used as medicine bundles. The objects inside were thought to have magical powers. In addition to pipes, medicine bundles contained such objects as a stone or arrow or parts of an animal. Quite often these were objects seen in a dream or vision. Individuals kept their own personal medicine bundles for good fortune, but tribal chiefs or shamans kept bundles for the entire tribe. The talismans inside had special meanings with regard to tribal legends.
Plains Indian shields also had religious meanings, intended to offer magical protection to the bearer. The paintings on sacred shields served as a link between the natural and spiritual worlds, pointing to mystical places.