Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-27
INDIAN HERAlDRY.
Al Interesting Exhibit to Be Made BY the
Government at Omaha.

The investigation of the North Ameri-
| can Indian along lines which have re-
| ceived but little attention heretofore will
| be of special interest to the student OF
| ethnology. and form an attractive part
of the great Indian exhibit at the Trans
Mississippi and international Exposition
| next year The result of thorough in
| quiry into what has proven Il complete
| system of heraldry in use among certain
| Indian tribes for ages. with its signs and
| symbols, mysterious significance and
| ceremonies. handed down from genera
| ton to generation. marks a new depart
ure in the line of chronological research.
| The Indian exhibit contemplated by the
| United States government at the Omaha
| exposition in 1898 is being prepared by
James Mooney. a representative of the
| bureau of ethnology of the department of
the interior. Mr.. Mooney has devoted
many years to careful study of the
American Indian along the line of sacred
traditions. religious ceremonies and SYM
| boic signs of heraldry. Mr.. Mooney is a
| whitY man of scholarly attachments ana
an adopted member of the Kiowa- Apache
Indians, a nomadic tribe living in the
southwest part of the United States. He
was admitted to full membership in the
tribe several years ago and has spent the
greater part of the time every year with
them, while quietly pursuing his inVesti-
cations without exciting the suspicion or
distrust of the Indians. 1t is the result
of the knowledge of traditional lore and
symbolic language acquired in connection
with indian tribal affairs which Mr.
Mooney proposes to depict in an interest
ing manner at the Trans Mississippi EX-
position. Mr. Mooney had charge OF the
installation of the Indian exhibit at the
Nashville exposition, and he wishes to
have more space devoted to that feature
of the government exhibit at the Trans
Mississippi exposition than was given to
it at Nashville.
One of tho m rf
ey's Investigations will be reproduction.
historically correct in all it's details. OF
the last great council of the amalga-
mated tribes of the kiowas and Apaches.
held in June, 1867. The encampment.
which at the time the council was held
covered circle of country ten miles in
extent. Will occupy, about four acres of
ground at the exposition. The encamp-
ment will consist of $50 tepees. In this
camp the tepees of the Indian families
are arranged in a great circle facing
toward the CENTRE The tepees are close
together and present an unbroken line
at all points. except at the east, where a
wide space is left for an entrance Each
tepee is marked by the emblem of the
subdivision of the tribe to which its
owner belongs, and these subdivisions
are grouped about the circle in the order
of their precedence. In front of each te-
pee is erected pole. on which are sus-
pended the shield and other war imple-
ments of the occupant of the tepee. each
shield being emblazoned with the heraldic
device of it's owner. In the centre of the
great circle formed by the tepees stands
the medicine lodge or temple. which
shelters the carved image or idol typical
of the sun. This lodge faces the east
and back of it stands the tepee of the
priests or medicine men and a small te-
pee IN which the dancers are purified be-
fore entering upon their energetic devo-
tiOns.
After the confidence of the Indians had
been secured sufficiently to allow the
modes OF the tepees to be made Mr..
mooney was obliged to secure the SER
vices OF one or more Indians in each of
the slX subdivisions into which the tribe
was divided in 1867 The subdivisions
were these: Rec. Elk. Kowa proper, Big
Shields, kiowa-Apache and Black Boys.
rms work was finally accomplished and
the models are now being made. A num-
Der are completed and by the time the
exposition opens the full number will be
ready for exhibition.