The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-01
Has WINTER COUNT
105 Years Indian History Is
in Wichita.
is AN UNIQUE RELIC
Ex-Indian Teacher ]. H. Brat
ley Owns 1t.


5 Wichita probable the only one in the
e state. 1t is owned by J. II. Bradley,
1 secretary of the North End Lumber
company whose home is on Lawrence ave-
Due near Nineteenth street. It is a cur
ious thing.
A winter count" is a species Of Indian
chronology painted in fantastic heirogly-
phics which represent the chief event in
the clan or tribe for each year 1t is
written or rather painted, on a strip Of
cloth four inches wide. about two yards
long and yellow with age. After reaching
the end of the strips of cloth, on the
lower margin. the historian continued
on the other side and when he arrived at
the end he continued il along the upper
margin
The chronology begins with the winter
of 10000 and ends with 1888 It is the
chronology Of a clan of Sioux that in
habited the valley of the North Missouri
river in what is now South Dakota. In
the winter of 10000 the first good white
man came among them and is known as
first good white man came winter" The
white man is represented by a plug hat
and he was probably a missionary. The
next year was known as Elk Killed
! Winter" It seems that there Were a
great many Elks that winter and that
/ the Indians had plenty meat. 1t is rep
/ resented by an elk full OF arrows. The
next winter was white man build house
winter" 1t is represented by tiny
( painting of a plug hat lying near what
is meant for a log house. The picture
representing the chief event of 1895 was
J - IT.
! 1t means that Little Bear a famous
Sioux was killed that year. The meat
poles are shown as empty for 1S1O-u
which means there was famine In 1926
water is represented with the tops of In
dian heads above its surface represent
ing a great food that drowned many In
dams
The heiroglyphics are ingeniously made
and to Sioux eye they mean many
things; they are in fact whole story Of
whatever incident it purports to repre-
sent.
The Winter Count contains two So
ciaI sensations, the stealing of horses. .
some romances, murders. fights with
Crows and Blackfeet, the introduction OF
fire arms, of blankets, mules money and
rations. In the fifties a record is made
OF man who broke his toes and If an
other Indian who fell from a hors, ard
broke his leg. For the winter or 1853 a
shower OF meteOrs is shown, and in an
other place is painted horse with a tail
of feathers. This represents an important
victory over the Pawnees, who, in giving
the Sioux battle decorated their horses
tails with feathers.
:. volume recently published by Tho bur
eau of American Ethnology of the Smith
sonian Institute throws some light on
these winter counts and justifes a claim,
that the one possessed by Mr.. Bratley Is
of great value 1t says that the Lone
Dog winter count was the first ever
made, commencing in 1900 copy of
this was found by Colonel Garrich Nal
lery and first published by him in 1871.
In all these Sioux calendars there is
only a single picture for each year. max
ing it inferior to the Kiowa calendars.
which show Il means of distinguishing the
winter from the summer months. In
both calendars only the most trivial
events are given. No mention is made
of Clusters battle in Montana in the
Sioux calendar nor is any mention made
of his massacre of the Indians in the
Washita in the Kiowa calendar While
these events of prime Importance are
omitted little things such as Indians
breaking their legs or stealing a squaw
are given great prominence.
The magic arrows of the Cheyennes are
shown. 1t is evident that the Sioux had
these arrows Tor some time. for they ,
We're lost from the Cheyennes for a great
many years. They were recovered about
twenty years ago and are now at Can
tenement, oklahoma. White men will !
not be allowed to see them. Tor their
magic depends upon them being forever
denied to white mems curious and pro- =
fame gaze.
Mr.. Bradley has a wonderful collec-
ton of Indian relics For eight years
he was in the Indian educational service. 4;
being stationed at Rosebud, South Da-
zota. Puget Sound in Washington, !
among the Hopis in Arizona and with
the Cheyennes at Cantonment Oklaho- :
ma At Cantonment he secured a girls
iress, decorated with S76 elk teeth. some !.
IF them Drowned with age and long stor-
lge in smoky Indian tepees. The dress q,
belonged to "a daughter of star" a fam !,
rus Cheyenne. No elk has more than =
wo of these teeth. They grow far back .
n the jaws and are always lose. No one =
Knows what natures plan was in putting -
hose teeth in the jaws OF an elk as it is \
.vident that he never uses them in the !,
nastication OF his food
Mr.. Bratiey has also very fne nauo- !
tan or Indian baby buggy It IS made !,
q cotton and rawhide and is covered over !
with white and coiored beads. showing ;,
.rtistic work OF rare merit
He also has a counting blanket strip
which is Interesting. The young Chey- r,
me marTies by throwing his blanket =
round a Young girl. u she does not i
an away. bu1 remains close to his bosom =
instead IL is a sign that she loves him
he counting blanket strip is Ike a sash &C.,
nd the one Mr. Bratiev showed a repor- ~
IT for the Eagle contained 1850 beads :
Z various colors ard arranged in the ..
most artistic manner This strip holds d.
be Indians blanket about him when n -
cut hunting for mate Il IS ar orna- ~
lent that has had no special significance. H.
one of the finest relics M Bradley ,s
as is a medicine mans sack. which -or- -
,erly belonged 80 the Chippevas. ID is ~
magnificent piece Of Indian art II i 30
> the shape oC the bags used bv mali ~
arriers made u black velvet ard dec -
rated very elaborateiy With beads ~ III
ariolss ceIors :,
ryee Jacks hiras-eye niarie caroe pad -
ie is in the possession ~ 3ir. Brsriey g..
wee Jsek was . famous chief III ths -
lalisn Indians II the northwest. near
aget Sound. il was u7ade rs the chiefs -
Sn hands ard Is If high 07ler ~
a-srrns. rsf-fr ,