Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-11-14
INDIAN DECORATION.
THE MEANING OF THE PAINT ON
THE RED MANS FACE.

THE RED MANS FACE.
Every Mark Has Hernldic sIgnIf-
icance, Denoting HOnOrs, Ancestry
or ConditIGn-The Arbitrary Meth
odH of Indian Artists.
People in general have been content
10 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 a
savage taste different only in degree
from what is sometimes witnessed
among highly civilized people, says Il
writer in the Washington Times. But
the fact IS that, in preference TO the
latter custom, for instance, every paint
mark on an Indians face has a 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
cultured communities by coats of arms,
orders. and decorations, is depicted by
the Indian on his face by means Of
pigments.
Scientists are now engaged, among
other novel Investigations concerning
the North American Indian, in COM
piling a record Of the armorial, or,
rather, facial, bearings of certain cele-
brated chiefs, and it is said TO be fas'
clnating work One renowned war
rior, for instance, will have his lip
painted a copper red. This Is found
to indicate that his tribe was once in
possession of huge mines OF copper.
Another individual will have his fore
head adorned with a painting OF a GER
tain tish. thus implying that he or his
people are renowned for prOweSs IN
catching fish The same distinguished
person sometimes wears a disk of pearl
IN addition to his paint mask. This,
by its shimmering radiance and It's
form, implies that he is descended
from the moon, in the sense that the
goddess OF night Is one Of his anCes-
tors
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 man
OF great attainment, IN which case he
divides or dlSSects the subject Of his
picture and represents the whole by
its parts. the latter being arranged en-
tirely irrespective of the natural Sc
Quence
The features of the Indian are some
times Incorporated into the represen-
tation OF the animal which forms his
heraldic bearing. Should the beaver,
for example, be the object to be de-
picted. II is not attempted, but only its
distinctive and typical parts, as for in
stance, its peculiar tall which is paint
ed In crisscrOss lines extending from
the chin to the nose. as though stand
ing upright. The chin itself does ser
vice as the beavers body.
The arbitrary methods of the Indian
artist render II difficult, If not impOs-
slble, for any but an expert to inter
pret the meaning Of the pictorial rep
reservations. Thus, an animals ears
are invariably depicted above the eyes
on the human object, the ears Of the
beaver being Just above the eyebrows.
On the cheeks are painted the paws in
position as though they were raised
to the mouth In the manner conven- |
tional In Indian carvings.
The dogfsh painted in red on the face |
designated the members OF an entire .
tribe. On the forehead Of the members |
Of this tribe IS painted the long, thin T.
snout. the glls are represented by two
curved lines below the eyes, while the .
tail is shown as cut in two and hang
ing from each nostril. Only one or
two parts OF an animal painted on an
Indians face indicates that he is OF
inferior position; the entire symbol, no
matter in what form presented Is Sig |
nificant Of lofty station and high hon
ors
The facial heraldry of the Indian
may be said to unique, not alone In
the method Of representation employ
ed, but in the subject selected. The
latter includes fish, flesh and fowl OF
starfsh, woodpeckers, ravens, eagles,
bears, wolves. frogs, are comprised IN
the armorial gallery.
Every object presented has its own
particular significance, and one OF the
most peculiar phases of face painting
relates to the employment of forms
other than animal-tools, implements
OF the chase or of war. denoting the
occupation Of the individual or his
tribe