Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians, 1. köideThe author, 1841 |
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American Fur Company amongst amusements animals appearance arrows Assinneboins Ba'tiste battle beautiful big canoe Blackfeet Blackfoot bluffs body Bogard braves buffalo buffalo bull canoe Catlin centre ceremonies character Chardon chief civilized world colours commenced costumes Crows curious customs dance distance dress enemies ermine exceedingly eyes feast feet flesh grizzly bear ground hair hand head head-dress heart herd honour horns horses hundred Indian instantly knife lance length LETTER-No living lodge looking luxuries M'Kenzie Mah-to-toh-pa Mandan village manner meat medicine or mystery medicine-lodge medicine-man miles modes MOUTH OF YELLOW ornamented painted passed Pawnees peculiar picturesque pipe PLATE porcupine portrait prairie profusion quills rawhide reader river robe Rocky Mountains savage scalp scalp-locks scenes seen shield Shienne side Sioux skins smoke Spirit strange TETON RIVER Traders traveller tribe UPPER MISSOURI warriors weapons whilst wigwam wild women Yellow Stone
Popular passages
Page 200 - ... they turned the black and rushing mass which moved off in an opposite direction where they were again met and foiled in a similar manner, and wheeled back in utter confusion; by which time the horsemen had closed in from all directions, forming a continuous line around them, whilst the poor affrighted animals were eddying about in a crowded and confused mass, hooking and climbing upon each other; when the work of death commenced. I had rode up in the rear and occupied an elevated position at...
Page 132 - ... to place it in such a position when it stops, that the ring may fall upon it, and receive one of the little projections of leather through it, which counts for game, one, or two, or four, according to the position of the leather on which the ring is lodged. The last winner always has the rolling of the ring, and both start and throw the tchung-kee together ; if either fails to receive the ring or to lie in a certain position, it is a forfeiture of the amount of the number he was nearest to, and...
Page 181 - I was painting his portrait, he told me there were four tortoises, — one in the North — one in the East — one in the South, and one in the West ; that each one of these rained ten days, and the water covered over the earth.
Page 84 - ... the quality or standing of the families which are to occupy them. The superstructure is then produced, by arranging, inside of this circular excavation, firmly fixed in the ground and resting against the bank, a barrier or wall of timbers, some eight or nine inches in diameter, of equal height (about six feet) placed on end, and resting against each other, supported by a formidable embankment of earth raised against them outside ; then, resting upon the tops of these timbers or piles, are others...
Page 38 - Indian in his primitive state, carries his medicine-bag in some form or other, to which he pays the greatest homage, and to which he looks for safety and protection through life — and in fact, it might almost be called a species of idolatry ; for it would seem in some instances, as if he actually worshipped it. Feasts are often made, and dogs and horses sacrificed, to a man's medicine ; and days, and even weeks, of fasting and penance of various kinds are often suffered, to appease his medicine,...
Page 136 - On the first day was Wah-kee (the shield), he could do nothing; he counted his beads and came down — his medicine was not good — his name was bad, and it kept off the rain. The next was Om-pah (the elk); on his head the raven was seen, who flies above the storm, and he failed. War-rah-pa (the beaver) was the next, my friends; the beaver lives under the water, and he never wants it to rain. My friends! I see you are in great distress, and nothing has yet been done; this shield belonged to my father,...
Page 131 - During the pleasant mornings of the summer, the little boys between the age of seven and fifteen are called out, to the number of several hundred, and being divided into two companies, each of which is headed by some experienced warrior, who leads them on, in the character of a teacher ; they are led out into the prairie at sunrise, where this curious discipline is regularly taught them (PLATE 57).
Page 122 - ... to support them through the winter. These are the principal articles of food during that long and inclement season ; and in addition to them, they oftentimes have in store great quantities of dried squashes and dried " pommes blanches," a kind of turnip which grows in great abundance in these regions, and of which I have before spoken.
Page 116 - Museum and looked upon as a great wonder, when here this novelty is at once done away with, and the whole mystery; where women can be seen handling and using them by hundreds, and they can be seen every day in the summer also, moulding them into many fanciful forms, and passing them through the kiln where they are hardened.
Page 109 - They pronounced me the greatest medicine-man in the world; for they said I had made living beings, — they said they could see their chiefs alive, in two places — those that I had made were a little alive — they could see their eyes move — could see them smile and laugh, and that if they could laugh they could certainly speak, if they should try, and they must therefore have some life in them.