Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-20
INDIAN SIGNS.
The Methods the Red Men Use In Com
rnunication.

The Methods the Red Men Use In Com
munieation.
AS time has passed and civilization
has changed Indian conditions, I was
under the impression that our red
brothers had forgotten the use Of signs
in their travels, but as l was lettering
about the hills in Siskiyou county a
few weeks ago came across genu-
inc Indian "sign," such as I had not
seen for a dozen years or more. 1t was
a simple little sign in appearance, but
lit was full of meaning to those who
could read it. A long stick with one
end stuck in the ground, the other
LEANING and pointing up the road. The
stick was elevated at an angle OF about
ten degrees from the ground and was
supported on a stone. 1t told some In
dian that his friend had been along
there and had gone ahead in the di-
rection pointed out by the stick.
marvelled at 1t, but on investiga-
ton found that the Indians Of Califor-
mia still use signs to convey intelli-
gence to each other. 1 found that
among the Cocopahs, Cohuillas, Pimas
and Yumas the sign is as much In use
as ever.
While travelling in San Bernardino
county some months ago l came across
a peculiar grouping Of stones, and at
once saw that some Indian had left a
sign so that all other Indians might
know that water was to be found In
certain direction. The stones were 1y-
ing In a complete circle, and In the
centre was long triangular stone,
with the sharp point indicating a spe-
cific direction. The sign was plain to
one versed in such things, and In or
der to see IL the same sign was uni
versal, for had seen 1t elsewhere, l
followed the. direction pointed out by
the long stone and found little spring.
| This arrangement Of stones 1 had
often seen in a dozen different places
in the middle west, and as variant,
which was also found in California, 1
|
miners monument, with a pointed
stone resting on top. pointing toward
water. In many parts Of the country
Especially in the deser: parts of Cali
fornia and Arizona, the question of wa
ter supply for travellers Is one that re-
quires serious consideration, and have
known men to pass within few hun
dred yards OF water without knowing
It, because they could not read Indian
signs. The sign was in plain view, and
was placed there because the Indians
recognized the necessity of telling all
who came along that they could find
water. True, there was not a big
board set up with water" painted on
II. but to the initiated 1t was equally
plain. There Is not trail in all the
southwest that runs near a spring that
does not have the sign openly display
ed. I have even seen instances where
the water was so far from the regular
trail that special signs have been made
to show where 1t is. remember one
instance among the Shoshones where
there was a large monument Of stones
with an extra long fiat stone on top
pointing toward the spring. After go
ing in this direction for some distance
[ came upon another similar monument
and before I got to the spring I found
five distinct monuments showing the
way.
Sometimes, however, these circles
may not mean water at all, and then 1t
is necessary to understand the intrica-
cies of the Indian mind to understand
just what he is driving at remem-
ber once when I was hunting on the
Republican river I came across cir
Gle of buffalo skulls, which attracted
my attention because Of their peculiar
arrangement. Sixteen skulls were set
In a semicircle, with their noses point
| ing down the river. In the centre or
the circle was a skull on which were
painted thirty-six red lines. Near the
skulls were two small sticks placed up
right in the ground, and at the top Of
each stick were tied two bundles OF
hair.
A Pawnee Indian was with me and
told me that thirty-six Pawnee Indians
had camped there. They had made
raid against a camp of Comanches
containing sixteen tents or lodges and
had taken four scalps. They were now
returning home down the river To the
ordinary observer this arrangement Of
skulls and sticks would have given no
more impression than the idea that
some one had been amusing himself
by playing with these buffalo skulls.
To the Indian the arrangement was a
complete story.
Indians use signs for several specific
purposes. the most prevalent being that
OF guidance, but they are also used for
direction, departure, intention, condi-
ton, warning and claim or demand. I
was hunting with party Of Utes In
southwestern Colorado and we had
separated with the understanding that
We were to meet again at a specified
place and all go back to the village to-
gether. On reaching the appointed
place one of the party was not there,
but the rest started to the village. pay
ing no attention to his on-appearance.
asked II they were not going to wait
until he came back, but they said he
had been there and had gone on to the
village without waiting for us to come
Iup. When expressed surprise
| I was shown a long stick stand
ing in the trail with a bunch Of grass
fastened to its top. The stick was
leaning toward the village and this
told the story of the missing man as
plainly as II he had written a letter
about It, I found that a similar stick
had been erected at the top Of every
hill between there and where the VII
lage could be seen. He took no
chances Of the sticks falling down and
told the story over several times.
The same sign is used by the In
dians Of southern Alaska, and also by
the Winnebagos Of Manitoba. The
4 c,to,,, ,,,a N oplit ofiok with short