The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-23
Revising Indian Names.

Mr.. Hamlin Garland, the novelist, ha:
now begun his duties under the recent
| order appointing him censor and re.
wiser of Indian names. The plan he is
pursuing in order to effect the desired
changes in the Indian nomenclature
is first to find out the chief underlying
objection, and then to remedy it by
standardizing all names by making
them conform to certain fixed regula-
tions. Mr.. Garland has discovered
that Indians in various parts of the
country are named indiscriminately,
and that therefore it is impossible to
tell the relationship which may exist
between them. Translation of the ap-
pellations into their English equivalents
is often impossible, indecent and ludi-
crous. For instance, on the Pawnee
reservation in Oklahoma an Indian is
called Coo-rux-rhu-r ah-ruk-coo, the
literal meaning of which is, fearing a
bear that is wild. In this case, how
ever, the owner was called Mr.. Fearing
B. Wilde. But the difficulty cannot
always be removed with such facility.
Mr.. Garland does not know what to do
with the Grow name which, translated,
is lls-the-one-with-th -blue-mark-
in-the-center-of-his chin or with
Bob : tail wolf number = g." or with
"keeps-his head above water" and
many other similar ones.
AT present there is no permanency in
the possession of Indian names A red
skinned citizen, as he goes through life,
does things from time to time which
baptize him anew For example (as
Mr.. Garland reports), he may see a
bear and run screaming to his tepee
Forthwith he is called ''Afraid-of-a-
bear" Later on he may become pos
SCISSOR of an unruly pony, which he is
afraid to ride, and then he becomes
known as "Afraid-of -his-horses." Or
he may mount a horse from which an
other Indian has been thrown, and he
then becomes known as "Rides-the-
horse" Further, he may become a
great hunter and kill many wild ami
mails, and then he is known as Five
BEARS" and when he Stays another he
is known as "Six-bears." He may
perform valiant deed in battle, and
ride his horse through the camp of the
enemy, for which he becomes known as
Charges through-the- During
the conflict he may kill one of the en-
envy. If his victim is the only one
slain he is known as -the-enemy."
But if others fall, the one he kills must
be described in his name, as "Kills-one-
with the-eagle his scalp"
or Kills the-one- who-rides- pony
with-the- bob-tail.''
If he braids in his hair a yellow
feather which he has plucked from the
tail of an eagle, he may be called
Eagle TAIL Eagle Feather ''Yel-
low TAIL" or yellow Feather" If he
gives it to his friend he will be known
as "Gives Feather but if he keeps It,
when asked for it, he becomes Keeps
the Yellow Feather" if he has more
than one feather. Or he may obtain
his name from some other object. IF
he is accustomed to ride what is COM
monty known as a calico horse. he
will be known as Spotted Horse"
But if his horse has a short tail he
will be known as Bob Tail Horse"
Now, the chances are that he will be
known all the foregoing names. His
enemies in the tribe will continue to
speak of him as Long Ears or
Afraid of His Horse, while his friends
will speak of him as "Rides His Horse,
six Bears ana hlllS the Enemy
OF course, from now on Indians will
never be named from acts done in the
war or the chase. But it is very pos
sible that many of them might be des-
ignated by such terms as these: Takes
Mortgages his-prem-
ises-five-times," runs off-with-an-
other s-wife'' Votes the-Demo-
cratic-ti ticket" 'Election-repeater,' and
"Goes-to-jaiL" The frequency and the
confusing changeability of such names
have suggested to the interior depart
ment the necessity for the reformation
and regulation of the red mans nom
enclature.