The Republican journal., 1901-08-22
hERALpRY OF THE INDIANS

HERALDRY OF THE INDIANS
Marks On the Face to Denote Honora
Ancestry, Tribe and Condition.
People in general have been content
to look upon the Indians adornment of
his head with eagle feathers and his
face with paint as marks OF personal
decoration inspired by vanity and
savage taste, different only In degree
from what is sometimes witnessed
among highly civilized peoples. But
the fact Is that in preference to the lat
ter custom, for instance, every paint
mark on an Indians face has sort of
heraldic meaning. implying not only
the honors won by the brave in person,
but representing also the claims Of his
family and race to distinction. In other
words. what Is shown among more cul-
tured communities by coats of arms.
orders and decorations is depicted by
the Indian on his face by means of pig
ments.
Scientists are now engaged. among
other novel investigations concerning
the North American Indian, in compil-
ing record of the armorial, or, rather,
facial. bearings of certain celebrated
chiefs, and it is said to be fascinating
work. One renowned warrior, for in
stance. will have his lip painted cop
per red. This Is found to indicate that
his tribe was once in possession Of
huge mines of copper. Another indi-
vidual will have his forehead adorned
with a painting Of a certain fish, thus
implying that he or his people are re-
nOwned for prowess in catching fish.
The same distinguished person some
times wears disk of pearl in addition
to his paint mask. This, by its SHIN
mering radiance and its form, implies
that he is descended from the moon,
in the sense that the goddess of night
Is one of his ancestors.
The fact that the Indian has no con-
ception of perspective seriously handi-
caps the success of his efforts at pic
torial art. Indeed the Indian Inner
merely aims to show the most charac-
teristic portion Of the object he at
tempts to depict unless he be a man
of great attainment, in which case he
divides or dissects the subject of his
picture and represents the whole by it's
parts, the latter being ii aged en-
tirely irrespective of the natural Sc
quence
The features of the Indian are some
times Incorporated into the representa-
ton of the animal which forms his
heraldic bearing. Should the beaver,
for example. be the object to be de-
picted, it is not attempted to design
the whole form of the animal, but only
its distinctive and typical parts, as, for
instance, its peculiar tail, which is
painted in crisscross lines extending
from the chin to the nose. as though
standing upright. The chin itself does
service as the beavers body
The arbitrary methods of the Indian
artist render it difficult, if not impos-
sible, for any but an expert to inter-
pref the meanings Of the pictorial
representations. Thus an animals
ears are invariably depicted above the
eyes on the human subject, the ears of
the beaver being just above the eye
brows. On the cheeks are painted the
paws in a position as though they
were raised to the mouth in the man
ner conventional in Indian carvings.
The dogfish painted in red on the
face designates the members of an en-
tire tribe. On the foreheads of the
members of this tribe is painted the
long, thin snout. The gills are repre-
sented by two curved lines below the
eyes, while the tail is shown as cut in
two and hanging from each nostril.
Only one or two parts of an animal
painted on an Indians face indicate
that be is of inferior position The en-
tire symbol. no matter in what form
presented. is significant of lofty sta
ton and high honors.
The facial heraldry of the Indian
may be said to be unique not alone in
the method of representation employ
ed, but in the subjects selected. These
latter include fish. flesh and fowl of all
description. Dog salmon. devilfish. star
fish, woodpeckers. ravens eagles, bears.
wolves. are comprised in the armorial
gallery
Every object represented has its own
particular significance. and one of the
most peculiar phases of face painting
relates to the employment of forms
other than animals--tools. implements
of the chase or of war. denoting the
occupation of the individual or his
tribe Washington Times.