The Indian is something of an impressionist in the matter of technique.
Though possessed of great manual dexterity, he does not care, as a rule,
to reproduce an object exactly, but rather to suggest his fundamental
conception of it. Each drawing stands for an idea, and its symbolic
character gives it a certain mystery and dignity in our eyes.
It is usual to represent an animal in action, in order to indicate more
clearly its real or imaginary attributes. Thus a horse is shown running,
a buffalo or bear fighting, or in a humorous attitude.
Pictorial hieroglyphics are merely crude pictures drawn and painted upon
leather or birch-bark, or cut into the trunk of a convenient tree, or
perhaps upon a hard clay bank, and sometimes even scratched with a hard
stone upon the face of a cliff. In the first place, they represent
history and biography, and serve to supplement and authenticate our oral
traditions. Others are communications intended for some one who is
likely to pass that way, and give important information. The person or
persons whom it is desired to reach need not be addressed, but the
sender of the message signs his name first, as in a letter of ceremony.
[Illustration: Fig. 21.]
Suppose Charging Eagle is on the war-path and wishes to communicate with
his friends. He cuts upon the bark of a conspicuous tree beside the
trail the figure of an eagle swooping downward, bearing in its beak a
war-club. The news he gives is that his young men brought home a herd of
horses taken from the enemy. He draws first a teepee; facing it are
several free horses, and immediately behind them two or three riders
with war-bonnets on their heads, leading another horse. Last of all are
some horses' footprints. The free horses represent force, and the led
horse expresses captivity. The fact that the men wear their war-bonnets,
indicates a state of war.
The event is dated by drawing the symbol of the month in which it
occurred, followed by the outline of the moon in its first, second,
third, or fourth quarter, dark or full, as the case may be. The waxing
moon opens toward the right, the waning moon toward the left. To be
still more exact, the chief may draw the sun with its rays, followed by
an open hand with as many fingers extended as days have passed since the
event.
[Illustration: Fig. 22.]
The thirteen moons of the year are named differently by different Indian
tribes. I will give the names and symbols commonly used by the Sioux,
beginning with nature's new year, the early spring.
1. Ish-tah'-wee-chah'-ya-zan-wee. Moon of Sore Eyes.
2. Mah-gah'-o-kah'-dah-wee. Moon of Ducks' Eggs.
3. Wah-to'-pah-wee. Canoeing Moon.
4. Wee'-pah-zoo-kah-wee. June-Berry Moon.
5. Wah-shoon'-pah-wee. Moon of Moulting Feathers.
6. Chan-pah-sap'-ah-wee. Moon of Black Cherries.
7. Psin-ah'-tee-wee. Wild-Rice Gathering Moon.
8. Wah-soo'-ton-wee'. Moon of Green Corn.
9. Wok'-sah-pee-wee'. Moon of Corn Harvest.
10. Tah-kee'-yoo-hah'-wee'. Moon of Mating Deer.
11. Tah-hay'-chap-shoon'-wee. Moon of Dropping Deer horns.
12. Wee-tay'-ghee. Moon of Severe Cold.
13. We-chah'-tah-wee. Raccoon's Moon.
In the old days, there were many different bands of the Sioux, who
wandered, during the year, over a wide extent of country. Thus news was
spread both by signal communication and by pictographs, when it was
impossible to communicate by word of mouth. This particular message of
Charging Eagle's was not only news, but also a warning to travelers to
be on their guard, for the enemy might seek to retaliate, and some
innocent persons be surprised and made to pay dearly for another's
exploit.
In picture-writing, the head of man or animal is emphasized, with its
distinguishing peculiarity of head-gear, or ears, or horns, while the
body is barely outlined. The warrior is represented by a rude figure of
a man wearing a war-bonnet, or carrying a coup-staff. Warriors returning
successful are shown approaching a group of teepees, carrying scalps on
poles. If, on the contrary, the writer's camp has been raided, the
figures are seen departing from the teepees. A trail, or journey, is
indicated by double wavy lines. If the travelers parted, the trail is
branched.
[Illustration: Fig. 23.]
[Illustration: Fig. 24.]
Lightning is represented by zig-zag lines with a suggestion of flames at
the points, or by a large bird with zig-zag flashes issuing from his
beak. Wind is indicated by tossed clouds; but for the four winds, or
four points of the compass, draw a mere cross, or a pair of crossed
arrows. For rain, make dots and dashes; for snow, falling stars; for
night, stars above a black line, sometimes adding a crescent moon.
[Illustration: Fig. 25.]
Every Indian has his pictographic signature, and this idea may
appropriately be copied by Boy Scouts, who will also enjoy communicating
by Indian signs and keeping the record book or "winter count" in the
same manner.
The name "Sitting Bull," for example, is drawn as a buffalo bull sitting
upon its haunches, with front feet in the air and tossing head. Spotted
Tail is a charger with luxuriant flowing tail, streaked and spotted with
white. Hawk Eagle signs his name by drawing a hawk wearing an eagle
feather war-bonnet. Big Tent draws a large teepee, with a buffalo tail
dangling from the projecting poles, to show dignity and importance. The
autograph of Chief Bullhead is the figure of a man with the head of a
bull buffalo, perhaps surmounted by a war-bonnet.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.]
The "ghost," or spirit, is represented by a pair of eyes looking from
the sky, or by the outline of a bird with great eyes. Prayer, or the
"Great Mystery," is symbolized by the figure of a man in the Indian's
prayer attitude--standing erect, with head uplifted and the tips of his
fingers meeting in a sharp angle in front of his chest, gazing at the
figure of the sun.