The Indians did not know how to write words by means of letters. There
were, however, many things which they wished to remember, and they had
found out several ways in which to record these.
Thus among the Sacs and Foxes there is a long legend with songs telling
about their great teacher, the good, wise, and kind Wisuka. It is
difficult to remember exactly such long narratives, but with objects to
remind the reciter of each part, it is not so hard. So the persons who are
to repeat the legend have a _micäm_. This is a wooden box, usually kept
carefully wrapped up in a piece of buckskin and tied with a leathern
thong; in it are a variety of curious objects, each one of which reminds
the singer or reciter of one part of the narrative. Thus he is sure not to
leave out any part. In the same way mystery men among other Algonkin
tribes have pieces of birch bark upon which they scratch rude pictures,
each of which reminds them of the first words of the different verses in
their songs. Such reminders are great helps to the memory. Among the
Iroquois and some eastern Algonkins, they used, as we shall see, wampum
belts to help remember the details of treaties or of important events.
Among many tribes pictures were used for recording matters of importance.
Many Sioux chiefs have written the story of their life in pictures. They
took several large sheets of paper and gummed the edges together so as to
make one long strip. Upon this they made pictures representing the
important incidents in their lives. Thus in one picture was shown where,
as a boy, the artist shot his first deer; in another was represented his
first hunting party; in another, how he went on the war-path to gain the
name of brave; in another, where he danced the sun dance; again, how he
went to Washington to see the white men’s officers, on business.
The most important record made by the Sioux is the _Dakota Calendar_. More
than a century ago a Sioux Indian determined to keep a count of the years
and of their happenings. So he began a record which was called a “winter
count,” where the events of the different years were shown by pictures.
His idea became popular, and a number of these winter counts were begun by
other Indians. The most important of these is one which has been called
the Dakota Calendar. It belonged for a long time to an Indian named Lone
Dog. The one he had was a copy on cloth from a still older one, which had
been made upon a buffalo skin. This count appears to have begun about the
year 1800.
[Illustration.]