FOSSIL QUOTES
Algonkian
Ottawa.
Use.
Synoptical Sketch of Indian Art.
Indian art in the United States, in addition to the general purposes of worship and defence
adverted to, has busied itself on objects essential to the forest wants. No objects of art have more
exercised their ingenuity than their canoes, wigwams, and dwelling-places of various kinds. In
the annexed Plate (30), the two extremes of this art are exhibited; namely, the Chippewa lodge,
as it exists in the Lake region; and the Creek house in its best state of native improvement in
1790. The canoe of the southern latitudes, differs little from the monoxyla of the ancients. It was
merely [page 395] the trunk of a tree, excavated. But the light and shapely vessel constructed
from rind of the betula papyracea, exhibits a degree of art and ingenuity which has been
universally admired. Both the Chippewa and Ottowa tribes are noted for their skill in making,
and their boldness in navigating, the lakes in these frail vessels of bark. It is rather in the latter
respect that the Ottowas claim pre-eminence. In one of these frail barks (figured in Plate 13),
with a short mast and blanket sail, they sweep, as on the "wings of the wind," out of the straits of
Michilimakinac, and have no hesitancy in crossing the wide expanse of Lake Huron. That this
feat may be contrasted with the ancient balza of the South Pacific tribes, the figure of that
ingenious structure is, at the same time, presented. Two species of their handicraft contrivances
have chiefly arrested the lndian mind--namely, instruments for killing their enemies, and for
capturing beasts and fishes. In the first department, the arrows of different forms, the stone lunett
or skull-pierccr, the spear of jasper or hornstone, and the stone club or ballista (large or small),
have claims to antiquity before the iron tomahawk, or any kind of axe of that metal, knife or
metallic jacula or dart. Implements of bone and of the solid part of sea-shells, have the same
claims to priority of antiquity. It is the same of pipes and other sculptures of serpentine steatite;
silicious pestles of grauwakke, the primary forest cooking-pot, and other rude forms of pottery.
The tips of the horns of the deer, elk, and moose, tied to a wooden handle, were employed at the
earliest periods, for piercing orifices through the ice, in the lakes and rivers of northern latitudes,
and this instrument is the prototype of the modern ice-cutter of iron, which in the Algonquin
retains its old name of aishkun. Ornaments were fabricated from rolla of mica--from small and
shihing univalves, and from fossil red aluminous and mixed minerals. Knives were formed from
pieces of obsidian, chert, hornstone, or even the hard joints of the common cane of the
Mississippi Valley. Chisels and axes of native copper were in common use throughout America,
and are believed to have constituted one of the commonest articles of native exchanges of the
era. Some of these chisels, or blades of copper, were tied to firm handles, constituting an
agricultural implement answering the purpose of a garden spade, with which the land was
cultivated. Such articles have been recently found in the Miami valley, Ohio (Schoolcraft 1860,
v.5:394-395).
Siouan
Dakota.
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Meaning.
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XVII.A. 2. Power and Influence of Dakota Medicine-Men.
The Wakinyan (Wah-keen-yon)
The Wakinyan are ruthless and destructive in their character, and they ever exert their mighty
power for the gratification of their ruling propensity, at the expense of whatever may come in
their way. The enmity which exists among al1 the classes or[page 645]races of the gods, is like
that which is seen to exist among the different Indian tribes; but the Wakinyan and Onkteri bear
a particular hatred to each other, which is hereditary and deep-rooted, like that which exists
between the Dacota and Ojibwa nations, and neither can resist the tonwan of each other's wakan.
It is unsafe for either to cross the other's track. The fossil remains of the Mastodon, which are
sometimes found by the Dacotas, they confidently believe to be the bones of the Onkteri; and
they are preserved by them most sacredly, and are universally esteemed for their wakan qualifies,
being used with wonderful effect as a sanative medicine. The Wakinyan are the Dacota's chief
war-gods, from whom they have received the spear and tomahawk, and those paints which will
shield them from harm when exposed to the murderous weapons of their enemies (Schoolcraft
1860, v.4:644-645).
Dakota.
Meaning.
Indicia from Mythology and Religion.
Chapter 2. -- Religious and Mythological Opinions of the Mississippi.
"The Wakinyan are ruthless and destructive in their character, and they ever exert their mighty
power for the gratification of their ruling propensity, at the expense of whatever may come in
their way. The enmity which exists among all the classes or races of the gods, is like that which
is seen to exist among the different Indian tribes; but the Wakinyan and Onkteri bear a particular
hatred to each other, which is hereditary and deep-rooted, like that which exists between the
Dakotah and Ojibwa nations, and neither can resist the tonwan of each other's wakan. It is unsafe
for either to cross the other's track. The fossil remains of the mastodon, which are sometimes
found by the Dakotahs, they confidently believe to be the bones of the Onkteri; and they are
preserved by them most sacredly, and are universally esteemed for their wakan qualities, being
used with wonderful effect as a sanative medicine. The Wakinyan are the Dakotah's chief wargods, from whom they have received the spear and tomahawk, and those paints which will shield
them from harm when exposed to the murderous weapons of their enemies (Schoolcraft 1860,
v.6:651).
Uto-Aztecan
Comanche.
Use, Social Category.
V.4. The Comanches and Other Tribes of Texas; and the Policy to Be Pursued Respecting Them.
August 20th, 1847. DANIEL G. BURNET (correspondent).
The Comanche costume is simple, though often variegated: it consists generally of a buffalo
robe, worn loosely around the person, and covering the whole to the uncles. This is sometimes
painted, or ornamented with beads on the skin side, or both. They prefer a large mantle of scarlet
or blue cloth, or one half of each color, except in very cold weather, when the robe, the hair
turned in, is more comfortable. The breech-cloth is usually of blue stroud, and descends to the
knees. The leggings, made long, of dressed deer-skin, or blue or scarlet cloth, garnished with a
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profusion of beads and other gewgaws. The head-dress is as various as their fancies can suggest,
and their means supply. Parrow-a-kifty's parade head-dress was a cap made of the scalp of a
buffalo bull, with the horns attached in proper position. He ordinarily wore few ornaments. The
young men, the exquisites of the tribe,-- and no people, savage or civilized, are more addicted to
the fanciful in dress,--bedaub their faces with paints of divers kinds and colors--red, black, and
white predominant--these they obtain, for the most part, from the different fossils of their
country, without chemical elaboration. Vermilion is much admired, but is generally too costly for
habitual use. They sometimes load their heads with feathers, arranged in lofty plumes, or
dangling in the air in pensile confusion, or wove into an immense hood. The hair is often
besmeared with a dusky-reddish clay; and horse-hair, cow-tails, or any other analogous material,
is attached to the conglomerate mass, until the huge compound cue will descend to the heels of
the wearer. They wear arm-bands, from one to ten or more on each arm, made of brass wire,
about the size of a goose-quill; nose-pieces, of shell, or bone, or silver, attached to the divisioncartilage; and ear-pendants, of strung-beads or any thing they fancy and can procure. They know
nothing of the origin of these customs of the costume, and understand as little of any sensible
reason for them, as the more civilized dandy does, of the rationale of his changeful fancies of the
toilet, which are sometimes equally as ridiculous and diverse from the simplicity and the [page
235] symmetry of nature. Their actual war-dress approaches to absolute nudity. When about to
attack an enemy, which they always do on horseback, they disrobe themselves of every thing but
the breech-cloth and moccasins. Their saddles are light, with high pommels and cantlins; and
they never encumber their horses with useless trappings (Schoolcraft 1860, v.1: 234-235).
Unspecified Language Family
Unspecified Tribe.
Use, Meaning.
Pipe Sculpture.
From the earliest date, a character of sacredness has been attached, by the American tribes, to the
incineration of tobacco; an article which has been in use as an acceptable gift to the deity. It was
supposed by them to be the most desirable of all offerings to the Great Spirit; and it entered
largely into their ceremonial rites and social pleasures. The art of sculpture, with them, was
concentrated on this single branch-namely, making of pipe-bowls. These were wrought, usually,
from steatites, serpen-tines, shales, soft tertiary red stones, or other fissile indurated minerals.
Even fossil coal has been found as the material. The object of art was to conceal the chief design
of using it as a smoking apparatus, under some animated form, as a lizard, frog, bird, or
quadruped, which was sculptured often with considerable spirit and justness of proportions
(Schoolcraft 1860, v.4:141).
Unspecified Tribe.
Meaning.
Indian Languages.
(f) Indian Geographical Nomenclature of the U.S. [Letter C].
CHEMUNG. A County of New York; a river, so named from the Indians finding, in its bed, a
fossil elephant's tusk (Schoolcraft 1860, v.5:572).
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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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