This bandolier bag was made by an Ojibwe artist in Cass Lake, Minnesota. Cass Lake lies within the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation, in north central Minnesota. With the passage of the several federal laws in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Leech Lake Ojibwe had lost much of their land to settlers and loggers by the time World War I occurred. World War I marked a period of 40 years of allottment and assimilation policies for Native people, including the establishment of boarding schools. Despite these policies, Ojibwe and other Native peoples continued to live their cultural heritage, which is present in their artwork from the time.

Bandolier bags have a large strap, worn over one shoulder, and are often decorated with beads. In general, women create the bags and men wear them. Ojibwe people have made these bags for centuries, but it was particularly after the 1870s that Ojibwe artists became well-known for their beadwork and designs. This art form continues into the present day.