Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-16

! totem fcatfish) Of Q companion hunter.
with his canoe. At the top, to the left,
| is a common black bear, and below 1t
six catfish. To one versed in the picture
language the whole thing is as clear as
day. and means simply that the two
| hunters In question, while encamped at
that particular spot. killed a bear and
caught six catfish in the river. It was
merely bit of personal news, left for
the information Of anybody passing.
One example is pictorially written
war song. Such songs. it seems, were
often expressed by symbols of a most in
| tricate and abstract kind, and give the
government ethnologists all they can do
| to decipher them. The one in question.
however, is comparatively very simple.
/ First, there is multi-colored thing like
| target, with what looks like a num-
Der of arrows stuck on the upper por-
ton OF the rim. This Is the sun, though,
although any other than a picture-writing
sharp would have trouble In recognizing
1t. The warrior sings, Il am rising. =
Then, after an oblidue line-a sort of rest
there is the figure OF the warrior him
self, one hand EXTENDED to the sky and
one to earth. by which is declared his
vast and worldwide power and prowess-
Il take both earth and sky Is what he
modestly sings. Next he appears Cor at
ledSt ieSS OO) unQcT the SyHDOl
the moon, as denoting night, the time Of
secrecy and warlike enterprise. Last.
there is figure symbolizing Venus, the
evening star. which the Indians call the
Eastern Woman who is made witness
to his valor and warlike cunning. He
sings, THE Eastern Woman calls" 1t is
possible to read the whole somewhat in
the following number:
II am rising to seek the warpath,
Earth and sky are before me. and they shall be
| walk both by day and by night.
And the evening star Is my guide.
One of the most Interesting specimens
of Indian caligraphy Is petition drawn
sixty years ago by delegation OF the
| Chippewa tribe. The petition asked for
the retrocession of part Of certain
| lands. which the Indians had handed over
| The curious figures connected by lines
represent the various totems OF leading
Indians among the delegation. In front
the spectator recognizes Tor, perchance,
the chief who headed the party. The
! lines drawn from It's eye to the eyes OF
| all the other totems signify unity Of view
among the members Of the deputation.
Other lines connect the cranes san heart
unity Of feeling Of purpose.
In addition to these lines, the crane
chief has a line drawn from his. eye for
ward to indicate the course of his jour
ney, and another backward to a sort OF
small map Of a collection Of rice lakes.
the grant OF which is the desire Of the
mission The long object. upon which the
totems appear to be standing represents
Lake Superior, with q path leading from
its southern shore to the vicinity Of the
lakes. a place where the Indians propose
settling down to peaceful pursuits The
picture of the President. receiving the
deputation could hardly be identified
from any OF the known portraits OF the
chief executive Of the nation: he Is shown
as completely filling the White House.
which, in turn, appears like an Indian
lodge, but of rectangular architecture.
with. sloping roof.
One of the chiefs was evidently absent
in person. but present in spirit as indi-
absentee at the bottoni of the petition, In
a corner, but with an eye-line joining