Part 9 (1/2)

_Love_. Cross both arms over bosom.

_Give Me_. Hold right hand well out in front of body, palm upward, close, and bring in toward body.

_Beautiful_. Hold palms up like mirror in front of face; make sign for _Good_.

_Ugly_. Same as above, with sign for _Bad_.

_Peace_. Clasp both hands in front of body.

_Quarrel_. Hold index fingers, pointing upward, opposite and a few inches apart; move sharply toward each other, alternating motion.

_Liar_. (Forked tongue.) Bring separated first and second fingers of right hand close to lips.

_Scout_. (This is also the sign for Wolf.) Hold first and second fingers of right hand, extended and pointing upward, near right shoulder, to indicate pointed ears.

_Trail_. Hold extended hands, palms up, side by side in front of body; move right to rear and left to front a few inches; alternate motion.

_It is finished_. Bring closed hands in front of body, thumbs up, second joints touching; then separate. This sign ends a speech or conversation.

XXII-INDIAN PICTURE-WRITING

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 att.i.tude.

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 pa.s.s 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 pa.s.sed since the event.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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.