The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-19
WHAT INDIAN SIGN MEANS
How Red Men on the Trail Communal
cate With One Another.
(san Francisco Chronicie.)


has changed Indian conditions was
under the impression that our redl
brothers had forgotten the use Of signsA
in their travels. but as 1 was lottery
ing about the hills in siskiyou county
a few weeks ago came across a gen
uine Indian sign" such as I had not
seen for dozen years or more. It
was a simple little sign in appearance,
but it was full of meaning to those
who could read IL. 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 only
about 10 degrees from the ground and
was supported on stone. 1t told some
Indian that his friend had been along
there and had gone ahead in the di-
rection pointed out by the stick.
1 marveled at it, but on investigation
found that the Indians of California
still use signs to convey intelligence to
each other. 1 found that among the
Coeopahs, COhuilas, Pimas and Yumas
the sign is as much in use as ever.
While travelling in San Bernardino
county some months ago l came across
peculiar grouping of stones, and at
once saw that some Indian had left a
sisp, so that all other Indians might
Know that water was to be found in a
certain direction. The stones were
lying in a complete circle, and in the
centre was long triangular stone.
with the sharp point indicating a spe-
cif1c direction. The sign was plain to
one Versed in such things, and in or
der to see IL the same sign was uni
Vefsal, for L had seen ii elsewhere, 1
followed the direction pointed out by
the long stone and found a little spring
This arrangement Of stones l had
often seen in d dozen different places
in the middle west. and as a variant
which was also found IN California, I
have seen a mound of stones, similar
10 miners monument with a pointed
stone resting on top, pointing toward
water. In many parts of the country
especially in the desert parts of Cali
fornia and Arizona, the question OF
water supply for travellers is one that
requires serious consideration. and 1
nave known men to pass within a few
hundred yards of water without know
ing it, because they could not read In
dian signs The sign was in plain view,
and was placed there because the In
dams recognized the necessity of tell
ing all who came along that they could
ind water. True, there was not a big
board set up with water painted on
it, but TO the initiated il was equally
plain. There is net a trail in all the
southwest that runs near q spring that
does not have the sign openly dis
played. I have even seen instances
where the water was so far from the
regular trail that special signs have
been made to show where il is. / re-
member one instance among the Shos-
homes where there was a large mOnu-
ment of stones with an extra long fat
stone on top pointing toward the
spring. After going in this direction
for some distance 1 came upon an
other similar monument, and before I
got to the spring l found five different
monuments showing the way.
Sometimes, however, these circles
may not mean water at all, and then
it is necessary to understand the in
tricacies of the Indian mind TO under
stand just what he is driving at 1
remember once when / was hunting on
the Republican river I came across a
circle of buffalo skulls. which attracted
my attention because OF their peculiar
arrangement. Sixteen skulls were set
in a semi-circle, with their noses point
ing down the river In the centre OF
the circle was a skull on which were
painted thirty-six red lines. Near the
skulls We're 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 Pawnees
had camped there. They had made a
raid against a camp of COmanches
containing sixteen tents OF 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 COM
plete 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.
was hunting with a party Of Utes in
Southwestern Colorado and we had sep
arated with the understanding that we
were to meet again at a specified place
and all go back to the village together.
On reaching the appointed place one Of
the party was not there, but the rest
started 10 the village, paying no at
tention to his nOn-appearance. I asked
If they were not going to wait until he
came back, but they said he had been
there and had gone on to the vii
lage without waiting for US to come up.
When expressed surprise I was shown
a long stick standing in the trail with
a bunch of grass, fastened to its top.
The stick was leaning toward the vii
lage and this told the story of the
missing man as plainly as if he had
written a letter about 1t. 1 found that
a similar stick had been erected at the
ion of every hill between there and
where the village 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 Indians
of Southern Alaska, and also by the
Winnebagoes Of Manitoba. The Sioux
nse a spIjt stick with short stick IN
the split, pointing in the direction
taken.
EXCUSE OF LIGHTNING ROD