Chapter LII: Section 3: Notice of Condition

In the curious manuscript of Gideon Lincecum, written with Roman characters in the Choctaw language about 1818, and referring to the ancient customs of that tribe, appears the following passage (p. 276):

They had a significant and very ingenious method of marking the
stakes so that each iksa could know its place as soon as they saw
the stake that had been set up for them. Every clan had a name,
which was known to all the rest. It was a species of heraldry, each
iksa having its coat of arms. The iksas all took the name of some
animal--buffalo, panther, dog, terrapin, any race of animals--and a
little picture of whatever it might be, sketched on a blazed tree
or stake, indicated the clan to which it belonged. They could mark
a tree when they were about to leave a camp, in their traveling or
hunting excursions, with a set of hieroglyphs, that any other set
of hunters or travelers who might pass that way could read, telling
what iksa they belonged to, how long they had remained at that camp,
how many there were in the company, if any were sick or dead, and if
they had been successful or otherwise in the hunt. Thus, drawn very
neatly on a peeled tree near the camp, a terrapin; five men marching
in a row, with bows ready strung in their hands, large packs on
their backs, and one man behind, no pack, bow unstrung; one circle,
half circle, and six short marks in front of the half circle; below,
a bear’s head, a buffalo head, and the head of an antelope. The
reading is, “Terrapin iksa, 6 men in company, one sick; successful
hunt in killing bear, buffalo, and antelope; that they remained at
the camp a moon and a half and six days, and that they have gone
home.”

Among the Abnaki of the Province of Quebec, as reported by Masta, their chief, cutting the bark off from a tree on one, two, three, or four sides near the butt means “Have had poor, poorer, poorest luck.” Cutting it off all around the tree means “I am starving.” Smoking a piece of birch bark and hanging it on a tree means “I am sick.”

Tanner’s Narrative (_c_) mentions regarding the Ojibwa that, in cases where the information to be communicated is that the party mentioned is starving, the figure of a man is sometimes drawn, and his mouth is painted white, or white paint may be smeared about the mouth of the animal, if it happens to be one, which is his totem.

Fig. 456 is a copy of a drawing incised on birch bark by the old Passamaquoddy chief, Sapiel Selmo, who made comments upon it as follows: Two hunters followed the river _a_ until it branches off _b_, _c_. Indian _d_ takes one river and its lakes and small branches, and the other hunter (not figured in the chart) follows the other branch and also claims its small streams and lakes. Sometimes during the winter they visit one another. If it happen that the other hunter was away from his wigwam _e_ and if the visiting hunter wishes to leave word with his friend and wishes to inform him of his luck, he makes a picture on a piece of birch bark and describes such animals he has killed with the number of animals as seen in _f_ and _g_ (figure of moose’s head) which, with two crosses to each, means 20 moose. He killed in each hunt altogether 40. _h_ is a whole moose, also with two crosses, and means 20, and also the figure of a caribou _i_ with one cross means 10 caribou, and also a figure of a bear with four crosses _j_ means 40 bears, and _k_ shows a figure of bear with one cross which means 10 bears, and also a sable _l_ with five crosses means 50 sables. If he wish to inform him he is in poor luck and hungry, he marked a figure of an Indian with a pot on one hand, the pot upside down; this means hunger. A figure of an Indian in lying position means sickness.

Fig. 457 was also incised on birch bark by Sapiel Selmo and described by him.

Two Indian hunters follow the river to hunt. They go together as far as the river’s forks and then separate. One went to the river _c_. The other follows river _e_ and kills a moose. They both build their winter wigwams.

Indian _b_ went to hunt and found a bear’s den under the foot of a big tree. He attempted to stab the bear, but missed the vital part. The bear got hold of him, bit him severely, and mortally wounded him. He went to his wigwam _h_ and thinks he is going to die, so he makes his mark or wikhegan on a birch-bark. He makes notches _j_ on the bark to mean his tracks and also marks a tree as in _f_ and also a bear as in _g_. His friend _d_ came to visit him and found him lying dead in his wigwam, and also found the marks on the piece of birch-bark, which he read and knew at once his partner was killed by the bear, and he followed his bear tracks, and he also found the bear dead.

_a_. Main river. _b_. One of the Indians who goes up _c_, branch of river. _d_. The other Indian who goes on _e_, another branch of river. _f_. Tree above the bear’s den. _g_. Bear. _h_. Wigwam of Indian _b_. _i_. Moose which Indian _d_ killed. _j_. Tracks of Indian _b_. _k_. Bear’s den under the tree. _l_. Indian _d_’s wigwam.

Fig. 458 originally scraped on birch bark tells its own story, but was described by Sapiel Selmo, who drew it, thus:

Two Indian hunters, _b_ and _c_, went to hunt and follow river, _a_. They continued together as far as _d_, where the river branches off. Indian _c_ follows the east branch _e_. He went as far as lake _f_, where he built his wigwam _g_. Indian _c_ is very unlucky; he doesn’t kill any bears or moose, so he became very hungry. Indian _b_, who had followed the north branch and built his wigwam, _l_, near lake _k_, went to visit Indian _c_, who was away at the time, but _b_ found mark on the birch bark, a pot upside down, _h_; this means hunger. He also makes his own mark, _i_, a moose’s head, showing success. He appoints lake _j_, where he killed moose, and wants him, _c_, to come to his, _b_’s, wigwam _l_.

_o_, lower lake, not connected with the story, but doubtless drawn to complete the topography. The two trails, _m_ and _n_, are designated by notches showing foot-path or snow-shoe tracks. The Abnaki have footpaths or snow-shoe tracks where the line of kelhign sisel, or sable dead falls, extends from one hunting camp to another, between two lakes or rivers.

The Ottawa and the Pottawatomi Indians indicate hunger and starvation by drawing a black line across the breast or stomach of the figure of a man. (See Fig. 1046.) This drawing is either incised upon a piece of wood, or drawn on it with a mixture of powdered charcoal and glue water, or red ocher. The piece of wood is then attached to a tree or fastened to a pole, and erected near the lodge on a trail, where it will be observed by passers by, who are thus besought to come to the rescue of the sufferer who erected the notice.

Fig. 459 illustrates information with regard to distress in another village, which occasioned the departure of the party giving the notification. The drawing was made in 1882 by the Alaskan, Naumoff, in imitation of drawings used at his home. The designs are traced upon a strip of wood, which is then stuck upon the roof of the house belonging to the draftsman.

_a_, the summer habitation, showing a stick leaning in the direction to be taken; _b_, the baidarka, containing the residents of the house; the first person is observed pointing forward, indicating that they “go by boat to the other settlement”; _c_, a grave stick, indicating a death in the settlement; _d_, _e_, summer and winter habitations, denoting a village.

The drawing, Fig. 460, also made in 1882, by a native Alaskan, in imitation of originals familiar to him in Alaska, is intended to be placed in a conspicuous portion of a settlement which has been attacked by a hostile force and finally deserted. The last one to leave prepares the drawing upon a strip of wood to inform friends of the resort of the survivors.

_a_ represents three hills or ranges, signifying that the course taken would carry them beyond that number of hills or mountains; _b_, the draftsman, indicating the direction, with the left hand pointing to the ground, _one_ hill, and the right hand indicating the number _two_, the number still to be crossed; _c_, a circular piece of wood or leather, with the representation of a face, placed upon a pole and facing the direction to be taken from the settlement; in this instance the drawing of the character denotes a hostile attack upon the town, for which misfortune such devices are sometimes erected; _d_, _e_, winter and summer habitations; _f_, storehouse, erected upon upright poles. The latter device is used by Alaskan coast natives generally.

The design shown in Fig. 461 is in imitation of drawings made by natives of Southern Alaska to convey to the observer the information that the draftsman had gone away to another settlement, the inhabitants of which were in distress. The drawings were made on a strip of wood which was placed at the door of the house, where it might be seen by visitors or inquirers.

Naumoff gave the following explanation: _a_, a native making the gesture of indicating _self_ with the right hand and with the left indicating direction of _going_; _b_, the native’s habitation; _c_, scaffold used for drying fish; upon the top of a pole is placed a piece of wood tied so that the longest end points in the direction to be taken by the relief party; _d_, the baidarka conveying it; _e_, a native of the settlement to be visited; _f_, summer habitation; _g_, “shaman stick,” or grave stick, erected to the memory of a recently deceased person, the cause which has necessitated the journey; _h_, winter habitation. This, together with _f_, indicates a settlement.

Fig. 462, also drawn by Naumoff, means “ammunition wanted.”

When a hunter is tracking game and exhausts his ammunition, he returns to the nearest and most conspicuous part of the trail and sticks his ihú^nŭk in the ground, the top leaning in the direction taken. The ihú^nŭk is the pair of sticks arranged like the letter A, used as a gun-rest. This method of transmitting the request to the first passer is resorted to by the coast people of Southern Alaska.

Fig. 463, also drawn by Naumoff, means “discovery of bear; assistance wanted.”

When a hunter discovers a bear and requires assistance, he ties together a bunch of grass, or other fibrous matter, in the form of the animal and places it upon a long stick or pole which is erected at a conspicuous point. The head of the effigy is directed toward the locality where the animal was last seen.

This device is used by most of the Alaskan Indians.

Fig. 464 was also drawn by Naumoff, and signifies “starving hunters.”

Hunters who have been unfortunate, and are suffering from hunger, scratch or draw on a piece of wood characters similar to those figured, and place the lower end of the stick in the ground on the trail where there is the greatest chance of its discovery. The stick is inclined toward their shelter. The following are the details of the information contained in the drawing:

_a_, A horizontal line denoting a canoe, showing the persons to be fishermen; _b_, a man with both arms extended signifying _nothing_, corresponding with the gesture for negation; _c_, a person with the right hand to the mouth, signifying _to eat_, the left hand pointing to the house occupied by the hunters; _d_, the shelter.

The whole signifies that there is _nothing to eat_ in the _house_. This is used by natives of Southern Alaska.

Fig. 465, with the same signification and from the same hand, is similar to the preceding in general design. This is placed in the ground near the landing place of the canoemen, so that the top points toward the lodge. The following is the explanation of the characters:

_a_, Baidarka, showing double projections at bow, as well as the two men, owners, in the boat; _b_, a man making the gesture for _nothing_ (see in this connection Fig. 983); _c_, gesture drawn, denoting _to eat_, with the right hand, while the left points to the lodge; _d_, a winter habitation.

This is used by the Alaskan coast natives.