Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 64

Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 64

PICTURE WRITING

 

Picture writing can not be said to be much practiced by any of these

tribes, though it is to some extent by all, principally by the Crow

and Sioux Indians. The former of these nations are incessant in the

war expeditions against the Blackfeet, and in the absence of the

warriors the camp from which they departed moves in quest of game,

but pursue a direction made known to the warriors before they leave.

It often happens that the trail made by the camp is effaced by rain

or covered with snow before their return, also that they (the camp)

are obliged to diverge from the route agreed upon, and in these cases

leave intelligence in pictorial devices in some of their encampments as

guides to the returning absentees, who, if they find them, can not fail

to reach their friends by following the instructions pointed out by

these means. (Fig. 35.) Another occasion where it is useful is where a

war party, after having made an attack, whether successful or not, have

reason to believe more of their own people are out for like purposes,

wish to convey to them the intelligence that their enemies are on the

alert, and prevent if possible their falling into their hands, as would

happen if they attempted to steal the horses before the late excitement

caused by their own appearance had subsided. The information, together

with the success or failure of their own expedition and any other

matters they wish their friends to know, are pictured in some place

likely to be found by those for whom it is intended.

 

[Illustration: FIGURE 35.—Picture writing. Key: “We are a camp of 13

lodges (1); encamped on a creek above the forks (2); started hunting

with eight horsemen (3); and two women on foot (4); slept two nights

out (5); found buffalo beyond the second creek from the camp (6);

killed some, and made travails (7); and slept but one night on our

return home (8)]

 

There is, however, this danger in these records, that if they are

stumbled upon by their enemies in their war excursions they are as

certain a guide to them as to their own people, and this is one of

the reasons why it is so seldom done. But the Crow Indians, who rove

through the spurs of the Rocky Mountains, frequently making long

and rapid marches, are compelled to leave such marks behind, or some

of their warriors would ramble about for months searching for their

homes, which would be extremely inconvenient should they be driving

before them a herd of their enemies’ horses. The information conveyed

by this system of writing is complete as far as it is intended, which

is only to represent leading and general facts, and is not nor could

it be applied to minute details. All warriors read and understand the

devices of their enemies and most of them practice it when necessary,

but the direction to war pursued by the Cree and Assiniboin in the

summer, being over plains, there are no places noted as their usual

encampments, and timber is seldom found; they therefore practice

this manner of writing less than the others, owing to the probable

uncertainty of their being found by their friends. In the winter,

however, it is occasionally done by them when their way lies along some

river, and their encampments are found by the small forts in which they

have slept every night being left standing.

 

The same species of intelligence is sometimes left in hunting grounds

with the view of announcing to any of their own nation who are supposed

to pass the same way that the game, as denoted by the carcasses round,

has been killed by friends, not war parties of enemies, intimating to

them the direction and situation of their camp, that meat may be had

there, that a juncture of forces is desirable, etc. The number and kind

of game taken are not painted as the heads of the animals around would

show that, but it, too, could be explained if wished.

 

These devices are generally drawn on some dry tree without the bark,

the characters being cut in the wood and filled up with vermilion mixed

with grease to prevent it being washed off by rain. Pieces of bark and

portions of skins are used, and in default of either soft stone will

answer. Powder dissolved in water is used to mark on the skin, the

impression being made with a pointed stick, inked and pressed forcibly

on the skin.

 

The meaning of every mark is fixed and exact, understood by the mass

of warriors of all tribes, not confined to or practiced by the priests

unless their situation in traveling be the same as the warriors or

hunters and they desire in like manner to convey some information to

the nation. The foregoing purposes in different forms are the only ones

to which we have had the opportunity of witnessing the application of

these devices. Perhaps they are the only cases as yet necessary for

their present operations, but there would be no difficulty in their

picturing the passage of whites or other nations through their country

should it be required, and the same be intelligible to them.

 

Another form, and the one in which this manner of writing appears to

be of more importance among them, is the devices drawn on the robes,

exhibiting their standing as warriors whenever they appear. The

height of distinction in an Indian, and his greatest ambition, is to

impress upon his own people or strangers the idea of his being brave,

of his having done acts that entitle him to appear among men, of his

superiority in this respect over others in the crowd; therefore the

actions which lead to these impressions are pictured on his robe; his

biography is carried on his back so that “he who runs may read.” It

insures him respect through life, an honorable shroud at his death, and

is believed to merit reward in futurity. A further use these devices

are made to serve is the representation of monsters said to be seen by

them in dreams, and supposed to have the effect when painted on their

lodges of averting strokes of lightning, disease, etc.

 

In like manner buffalo heads are pictured to bring those animals in the

direction of the camp, besides a great variety of smaller devices are

seen on their shields, drums, medicine sacks, and envelopes of their

amulets, to all of which appropriate and general meanings are attached

corresponding with their superstitious belief or to insure success in

domestic affairs. In conversation with most elderly Indians regarding

locations, travels, or to explain battles and other events, resort is

had by them to drawing maps on the ground, on bark with charcoal, or

on paper if they can get it, to illustrate more clearly the affair in

question. In this way the chief of the Crow Nation three years since

made and left with us a map (pl. 77) of his intended travels during

the entire fall and winter succeeding, embracing a circumference of

1,500 miles, with the different encampments to be made by that nation

in that time, and so correct was the drawing that we had no difficulty

in finding their camp the following winter in deep snow, one month’s

travel from this place. It is regretted that those Indians are not now

in this neighborhood, as in that case some specimens of their charts

and devices could be inserted, but in default of better we present in

this place some Assiniboin drawings, with their explanations, which

will serve to give a general idea how they are managed, and other

pictorial devices are attached in several parts of this work.

 

These are the only forms the pictorial art of the Indians takes. It

is more largely applied to the designs represented on their robes and

mythological subjects when appearing on their lodges, fetish envelopes,

etc., as has been stated. Songs can not be recorded in this or any

other form. The value it may be to a people who are without letters is

mostly apparent in the instances where it denotes the rank and standing

of individuals when painted on their robes. The information intended

only for their friends when cut on trees is liable to be interpreted to

their disadvantage by enemies, which would consequently be a bar to its

general practice. None of their drawings are executed with neatness,

but occasionally have some pretensions to proportion. It appears to

be the meaning only that is desired, for paintings done by whites

correctly are not more appreciated as work of art, perhaps not so

much, as their own rude representations, but are looked upon with more

superstitious dread.

 

The explanation of the drawing (pl. 78) would be as follows: “We were

a party of 20 men (1) and stole 39 horses (2) from the Blackfeet” (see

the 39 horse tracks so marked going away from the camp). “The camp

turned out, killed one of us” (see the picture of a hand pointing

toward their enemy’s camp (3) and a scalped man drawn) “and recaptured

from us 14 horses (4)” (see the 14 tracks going back to camp, each

track always standing for a horse). “We forted and fought with them”

(see (1) representing a brush fort and the men therein; the guns

pointing toward the fort (5) are those of their enemies and the others

signify the firing kept up by themselves).

 

“In the battle three of us were wounded and six horses killed” (see

6 representing a wounded man, and six horses stationary, seven; that

is, going neither way, proving them to be unable to travel). “We got

off with 19 horses” (8) (this being the tracks of horses leaving the

fort); “the first night we encamped on the plains near a spring” (9)

(the dotted line shows the path, and 9 is intended to represent a small

fort or sleeping place, with another dotted line to the left where

the spring (10) is marked). “In the encampment we left a wounded man

(6); we made two more encampments after that, when we now leave this

painting and intend pursuing our course home to the right. A band of

buffalo (11) was seen on the opposite side of the river on a creek

while the battle was going on, which are all we have yet seen.” (These

marks mean buffalo tracks.)

 

The end of the dotted line is as far as they have then gone, and other

marks show the road they intend to pursue, but if they expect to get

home without sleeping the dotted line is made as far as the lodges.

 

Explanation of Plate 79.—“We are a party of 10 men (1), have stolen

21 horses (2) from the Blackfeet and taken a scalp (3), but lost

one of our own party. The first night we forted on a creek (4), the

second night we slept on the prairie in a small fort at the foot of

some timbered hills (5), the third night we slept at a lake (6), the

fourth at a spring (7) where we are now. We intend to make three more

encampments to get to our lodges, which are on the head of the next

river (8). These figures (9) represent the lodges of their enemies,

and the horses’ tracks going from the lodges, indicating them to

have been stolen, each single mark (10) counting a horse. The guns,

bows, and lances show the party to be 10 (1). The hand pointing the

direction in which they are traveling and toward a scalp (11) intimates

that they have killed an enemy. The hand pointing the other way with

the scalp (12) explains they have lost one of their party. The dotted

line is their path home along a river and only extends as far as they

have traveled to the place where the painting was left. The number of

days they expect yet to travel to reach home are indicated by these

characters (8, 10), the one a brush fort, signifies the number of

encampments, and the horse track with it means it is the road they

intend to travel.”

 

[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY

 

FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 77

 

MAP OF REGION ABOVE FORT UNION]

 

[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY

 

FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 78

 

DIAGRAM OF A BATTLE FIELD]

 

[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY

 

FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 79

 

DIAGRAM OF A BATTLE FIELD]