WHISTLE QUOTES
Muskohegan
Creek.
Use.
Position and State of Manners and Arts in the Creek, or Muscogee Nation in 1791.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
April 29, 1795. CALEB SWAN, Deputy Agent, Creek Nation.
A stranger going into the country must feel distressed, when he sees naked women bringing in
huge burdens of wood on their backs, or bent under the scorching sun, at hard labor in the field;
while the indolent, robust young men are riding about, or stretched at ease on some scaffold,
amusing themselves with a pipe, or a whistle (Schoolcraft 1860,v.5:275).
Siouan
Dakota.
Meaning.
B. Art of Recording Ideas. -- Pictography.
d. Haökah--A Dacota God. (PLATE 55.)
It is seldom, however, in their deification of geologic and organic monuments, that we behold the
pictographic symbols of these gods of the imagination, such as is presented in the accompanying
figurative device of Haökah. This god is presented under the form of a giant. The following is a
complete key of the separate symbols, as taken from the lips of a Dacota.(1)
Fig.
8. The giant.
9. A frog that he uses for an arrow-point.
10 and 11. Birds that he has kept within his court.
12 and 13. Ornaments that he keeps over his door.
14 and 15. His court-yard, ornamented with red down.
16. A deer living in his court.
17. A bear " " "
18. An elk " " "
19. A buffalo " " "
20 and 21. Incense offerings.
22. A rattle of deers' hoofs, used in singing.
23. A long flute or whistle.
24, 25, 26, and 27, are meteors that he sends out for defence, or to protect him from invasion.
28, 29, 30, and 31. Lightning which surrounds his house, with which he kills all kinds of
animals.
32. A. large fungus that grows on trees.
33. Touchwood.
Nos. 32 and 33, are eaten by animals that enter his court, causing immediate death. [page 226]
34. Lightnings from the giant's cap.
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35. The giant's cap.
36. His bow and arrows (Schoolcraft 1860,v.2:225-226).
Footnote:
1. By Captain S. Eastman, U.S.A.
Dakota.
Use, Ritual.
IV.3. The Dacotahs or Sioux of the Upper Mississippi.
RELIGION.
PHILANDER PRESCOTT, U. S. DACOTAH INTERPRETER, FORT SNELLING AGENCY,
MINNESOTA (correspondent).
138.--Do they fast that they may acquire mental purity, or cleanliness to commune with him?
Are the general feasts at the coming in of the new corn, and at the commencement of the general
fall hunts, of a religious character? Are these feasts of the nature of thanksgivings? Are any of
the choruses, or songs of the priests, sacred, or of a hieratic character? Is the flesh of the bear or
dog which is sacrificed, used to propitiate favor? Is it true, that all the flesh, bones, and the
'purtenance' of the animals sacrificed in the feast, must be eaten or burned, as in the institution of
the paschal supper?" [page 227]
I never knew any of the Dacotahs to first on religious principles, but for one or two things; that
is, the worship of the sun and moon. I have known them to fast two and three days. The worship
of the sun, (Plate 27,) is caused by some one having dreamed of seeing the sun. The worship is
performed at intervals of about four or five minutes, by two young men in a most singular
attitude. The two worshippers are almost in a state of nudity; only a piece of cloth about their
loins. The worshippers have each of them a small whistle in their mouths, and time the sun. The
mode of dancing is a kind of hitch of first one leg and then the other; but they keep time to the
singing and beating upon raw hides or parchment. In their singing there are no words used,
nothing but the chorus appropriate to such occasions. The nearest and best comparison that I can
make of them when worshipping, is a frog held up by the middle, with its legs about half drawn
up. This dance is kept up two and three days, during which time the worshippers eat no food.
The feast of the new crop is made for what we would term a thanksgiving; but the Indians apply
it in honor to their war-medicine and the medicine used among themselves. If a man makes a
feast of new corn, it is in honor of his war medicine. If a woman makes a corn feast, it is in
honor of the medicine they use among themselves. At these feasts, if a person does not eat all
that is given him or her, they do not have to pay for it, as in some of their feasts; but otherwise,
the one that eats up his dishfull first, will probably receive a present from the person who made
the feast, of a gun or large kettle, or some traps. This being a common custom amongst them,
there is always amongst the eaters a great strife to see who will eat up their portion first, and get
the present. As soon as the word is given for them to commence eating, the work commences,
and such blowing, stirring, eating, and sweating, as that the grunting animals could not surpass
them. The music is vocal, but nothing but a chorus, but considered sacred amongst the Indians.
In some of their feasts, everything is sacred. Not a morsel of the meat must fall to the ground.
The spirits will be displeased and some great calamity will befall them. The bones are all
gathered up, and either burnt or thrown into the water, so that the dogs cannot get them, nor be
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trampled upon by the women in particular; because they consider a woman very unclean at
times, and it would be a great sin for them to step on or over any part of the remnants of their
offerings (Schoolcraft 1860, v.3:226-227).
Dakota.
Use, Ritual, Meaning.
XII.2. Gods of the Dacotahs. (Plate 36).
Fig. D is the god of the grass, or god of the weeds (whitte-ko-kah-gah). The proper translation of
this word is, "to make crazy." This god, they say, is formed from a coarse kind of weed, called
pajee-ko-tah, which has the power of giving them fits, or making them crazy, and also of giving
them success in hunting. In his right hand he holds a rattle of deer-hoofs. There are sixty-four
deer-claws in this rattle, or, as they say, the deer-claws of eight deer. In his left hand he carries a
bow and arrow; and although the arrow is made blunt by chewing it, still he can send it through
the largest animals. From his cap are streaks of lightning, so brilliant as to dazzle the eyes of
animals, and thus enable him to approach close to them. In his mouth is a whistle, [page 487]
which is used in the dance to invoke the assistance of this god. When the Indians have bad luck
in hunting, they get up a dance to invoke the assistance of this god (Schoolcraft 1860, v.3:486487).
Dakota.
Use.
Manners and Customs. C.
Synopsis of Paper Third.
3. Manners, Customs, and Opinions of the Dacotahs.
201. A Whistle blown before Battle (Schoolcraft 1860, v.4:44).
Dakota.
Use, Ritual, Social Category, Meaning.
Manners and Customs. C.
3. Manners, Customs, and Opinions of the Dacotahs.
201. The plan of attack is made known to the party by the war-chief, if possible. The spies
reconnoitre the enemy's camp, and the plan of the battle is then fixed. When they are near
enough they have a whistle to blow, at which sound they all fire; then the war-whoop comes, and
they charge on the enemy. There is no order of retreat. No rallying-place named. When the
worsted party flies, their antagonists follow in irregular pursuit (Schoolcraft 1860, v.4:62).
Winnebago.
Ritual, Social Category.
XI. Present Condition and Future Prospects. B.
Education, Christianity, and the Arts.
Winnebago School
March 8, 1848, Rev. D. Lowry (correspondent).
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Many have undertaken to enlighten the world on the subject of courtships among the Indians.
The young man seeking a partner, is said to whistle on a wooden flute prepared for the purpose.
His wishes are soon understood by others, and negotiations preparatory to marriage follow. This
fabulous story has often appeared in the newspapers of the country, and recently made a part of a
course of lectures delivered in the United States and in Europe. I say fabulous story, for it is
without foundation in fact. Negotiations preparatory to marriage, among the more wealthy
Indians, are often made by the parents of children, while the parties to be united are in infancy. I
have known as many as ten horses given by the father to purchase a wife for an infant son. The
parties thus engaged by the parents do not marry till they arrive at a suitable age (Schoolcraft
1860, v.3:480).
Winnebago.
Use, Ritual, Social Category.
XIII. Medical Knowledge of the Indian. A.
Practice of Medicine Among the Winnebagoes.
Turkey River Sub-Agency, Iowa
April 1, 1848, F. ANDROS, Physician to Winnebago
2. As regards the practice of medicine amongst them, it is a compound of superstition and
ignorance. They are totally ignorant of the pathology of disease, and equally so of its treatment.
They have no knowledge of anatomy, nor any correct idea of the circulation of the blood; the
maximum of their knowledge on this point is that the blood runs in certain channels --arterial and
venous: circulation is with them the same thing.
"Medicine-men" are numerous among them, and each has his secret universal panacea for all the
diseases "that flesh is heir to." So far as I have been able to observe, their medicines are of a mild
character, the poisons being excluded as being the work of the Evil Spirit in an attempt to imitate
the Good Spirit, who created the different fruits and grasses for the use of the Indians. Their
remedies are exhibited with but little reference to disease or the particular stages of the same.
[page 498]
The hot or vapor bath and the cold bath or cold affusions, and frequent blood-letting, are the
most powerful remedial agents in use. These powers are resorted to in every disease attended
with inward heat of the surface; and the latter is an almost universal remedy. The flint is used as
the instrument for bleeding: a small scale is broken off and tied to the end of a stick, and used as
farmers use the lance in bleeding horses.
The vapor bath is prepared by covering a small lodge with blankets, in which the patient is
placed; heated rocks are placed near him, on which water is poured, immediately generating any
required amount of vapor.
The cold bath is some natural stream, or spring, in which the patient is placed in a sitting posture,
the water coming up to his chin; or, when such natural bath is inconvenient, from distance, the
patient is wrapped in blankets, and cold water poured over him: this is continued according to the
pleasure of the operator. This course sometimes has a happy effect in cases of fever, but more
generally the effect is congestion of some of the important viscera, or brain.
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In some cases of disease, they rely more on propitiatory offerings to the Bad Spirit, and
incantations, accompanied with the drum, rattle, and whistle, than on any internal medicine.
Cupping is also a favorite remedy with them. This is performed with a horn of the ox, using the
mouth as a suction-pump; the part being first searifled with a flint, or with the point of a knife.
As regards their materia medica, but little is known to the whites, as a superstitious mystery
envelopes all their actions when attempting to cure the sick. I have been much among them
during the last two years, and have carefully observed their remedies, and the effects, and am
perfectly satisfied that they have no remedies of any value not known and embraced in the
Pharmacopoeia of the United States.
Their theory of ague and fever is, that it is the work of the "Bad Spirit ;"-- that he blows his cold,
and after, his hot breach upon them. This may be taken as a fair specimen of their knowledge of
the cause of disease. All their sacrifices and propitiatory offerings are made to this spirit. I am
not aware that offerings are ever made to Manitou, or the Good Spirit. During seasons of unusual
sickness, large amounts of valuable goods are suspended on trees, or poles, in the vicinity of
their villages, as offerings to the Evil Spirit. Such was the case during the summer and autumn of
1846. Dogs are a favorite offering.
Their superstitious notions are, however, gradually melting away before the light of civilizations;
and many of them have now discarded their own "medicine-men," and in all, even the slightest
indisposition, call on the government physician for medicine and advice This is emphatically
true, so far as the Agency band is concerned. Observation and experience have convinced them
that there is more safety in the doctor of the white man, than their own; and few cases of disease
occur in which he is not consulted (Schoolcraft 1860, v.3:497-498).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe
1860 Information Respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian
Tribes of the United States. 6 vols. J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia.
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