Part 13

Spring. (Little grass.) Hold hands, palms upward, well down in front, fingers and thumbs well separated and slightly curved; separate hands slightly. Then hold right hand in front of body, back to right, closing fingers so that only tip of index finger projects. (This last sign for Little.)

Summer. Sign for Grass, holding hands at height of waist.

Autumn. (Falling leaves.) Hold right hand above head, fingers closed, except index finger and thumb, which form nearly a circle; bring hand slowly downward with wavering motion.

Winter. Hold closed hands in front of body and several inches apart; give shivering motion to hands.

To indicate Age, give sign for Winter and hold up fingers; all counting is done in the same way, in multiples of ten; as, for one hundred, open and close fingers of both hands ten times.

Color is usually indicated by pointing to some object of the color spoken of.

Brother. Touch first and second finger to lips.

Sister. Sign for Brother, and that for Woman.

Woman. (Long hair.) Bring both palms down sides of head, shoulders, and bosom, with sweeping gesture.

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 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.

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.

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.