The Opelousas courier., 1902-01-11
HERALDRY OF INDIANS
MARKS ON FACE NOT THE RESULT
OF SAVAGE VANITY.

VtS "aVetbSS ~
Family and Race Distinction Study o
the Facial Bearings Of Celebrated Chiefs
is Fascinating.
People in general have been conten
to look upon the Indians adornment o.
his head with eagle feathers and his face
with paint as marks of personal decofa
ton inspired by vanity and a savage
taste, different only in degree from
what is sometimes witnessed among
highly civilized people. But the fact is
that, in preference to the latter custom
for instance, every paint mark on ar
Indians face has a sort of heraldiC
meaning, implying not only the honors
won, by the brave in person, but repre-
senting also the claims of his family
and race to distinction. In other words;
what are shown among more cultured
communities by coats Of arms, orders
and decorations is depicted by the In
dian on his face by means of pigments.
Scientists are now engaged, among
other novel Investigations concerning
the North American Indians, in complll
ing a record of the armu.ial, or rathe5
facial, bearings of certain celebrated
chiefs, and it is said to be fl TcinatiB
work. One renowned warrior, ~ in
stance, will have his lip painted a cop
per color. This. is found to indicate
hat his tribe wa 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 proves in catching fish.
The same distinguished person some
times wears a disk of pearl in addition
to his paint mask. This, by its shim-
mering radiance and its forms, 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 pictor-
ial art. Indeed, the Indian Inner mere
ly aims to show the most characteristic
portions of the object he attempts to
depict, unless he be a man of great at
talnments, in which case he divides or
dis-ects the subject of his picture and
represents the whole by its parts, the
latter being arranged entirely irresptc-
tive of the natural sequence.
The features of the Indian are sonc-
times incorporated into the representa-
ton of the animal which forms his her
aldic bearing. Should the beaver, for
example, be the object to be depicted, ii
is not attempted II design the whole
form of the animal, but only its distinct
i've and typical parts, as, for instance,
its peculiar tail, which is painted in
criss-cross lines extending from the
chin to the nose, as though standing up
right. The chin itself does service as
the beavers body.
The arbitrary methods of the Indian
artist render it difficult, if not impossi-
BILE, for any but an expert to interpret
the meanings of the pictorial represent
tations. Thus, IN animals ears are in
variably depicted above the eyes on the
human subject, the ears of the beaver
being just above the eyebrows. On the
cheeks are painted the paws in a posi-
ton as though they were raised to the
mouth in the manner conventional in
Indian carvings.
The dogfsh painted in red upon 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 represent
ed by two curved lines below the eyes,
while the tail is shown as ii in two
and hanging from each nostri1. Only
one OF, two parts of an animal painted
on an Indians face indicate that he isl
of ar inferior position; the entire SYM
boil, no matter in what form presented,
is significant of lofty station and high
honors.
The facial heraldry of the Indian may
be said to be unique not alone in the
of representation employed, but
in the subjects selected. These latter
fish, flesh and fowl of al le-
scriptions-dog salmon, devilfsh. star
fish, w~oodpeckers, ravens, eagles, bears.
and frogs are comprised in the
armorial gallery.
Every. object represented has its own
particular significance, and one of the
most peculiar phases of face painting
t o the employment of forms
other than animal-tools, implements
If the chase or of war, denoting the oc-
of the individual or his tribe.
Washington Times.