The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-02
(By MRS. NJ. E. PLAssMANN)

mi Indian wounded or killed an
-ASA enemy he strove to be the first
one to count COUP" as it was
termed. Coup" was not an Indian,
but French word meaning hit or
stroke, and I always wondered why it
was considered an honor to hit dead
man. The explanation of this is given
by the report of the Bureau of
American Ethnology for the years of
188889. There it is stated that it
was held to be greater act of brav-
cry to count a coup than to kill a
man, because in case the man slain
was one of party, his fellow tribes
men would rush to prevent this very
thing happening. In other words, one
might have to run the gauntlet of
many foes in order to hit the fallen.
The coup was not given with gun, or
any chance weapon; each warrior carried
q coup stick to use if required or a lance
richly decorated. 1t is described as
<'long, often of willow stripped of its
leaves, and decorated with feathers, bells,
bright colored cloth, or else painted in
a special manner"
A coup was considered a distinction
for the one who accomplished it. 1t
ess. They were their own advertisers;
there being no yellow journals to carry
in glaring headlines the story Of their
remarkable courage, it remained for these
children of Nature to publish to their
world the information that otherwise
would be unknown, and in doing this
they were no more conceited than their
so-Called civilized brothers, often with
less cause for boasting. White man and
Indian, like The Colonel'S lady and Judy
'11n0eT
skin"
They were no shrinking violets, those
red men, steadfastly avoiding the light
OF publicity, nor were they Mark An
thongs, given to wasting time and elo-
Quence in eXtOlling the virtues of 9th
ers, yet none thought the less of them
FOR their self-praise. Imagine the scene: {:
the black night as a background, fire
in the open and about it grouped COM
pany of Indian men, blankets drawn
around their shoulders or dispensed with
as best suited their comfort, black eyes
agleam in the freight, and the ever
present pipe largely in evidence. One Of
the number is on his feet dramatically
presenting to his respectful audience the
frequently told story Of how he met the
enemy and they were his, or some OF
them were, and illustrating his fervid
words with appropriate gestures.
His hearers show no lack of interest
in the tale, Notwithstanding their IA
miliarity with it, for well they know
their turn is coming, when each can
help to keep alive in the minds of others
recognition Of their own personal cour-
age. They have counted numberlesS
COups and taken many scalps.
The coup counted had the right to
spread abroad an account Of his achieve
znent in other manner than by word OF
mouth. He could have upon his person
his clothing and his tepee pictures ol
signs. ineligible to all, which constant
ly testified that he had done certain
deeds Of daring. These were painted de-
signs. An *" representing the person
counted the first coup. An x with
slight perpendicular mark in the angle
at its right indicated the second coup
two marks the third, and three mark
the fourth. The fourth coup was th
last Cne counted, although it was eS
teemed a brave act to win the fifth.
1t is said the Arikaris used the K will
one mark to show the first coup, ant
four marks beside the K for the foutl
coup The Indians were wise in neve
permitting their public to lose sight o
what their great men had accomplished
They needed no medals when a littl
paint properly applied answered the sam
purpose, cost less, and was quite a
artistic.
Feathers as well as paint were used t
announce the talking of a coup. A feath
er with hOrsehair dyed red and fastene
so its tip was equivalent to saying ii
wearer had killed a man and counte
The first coup. A red bar across tn
Seather meant the second coup, two re
bars the third, and three red bars tn
fourth coup, while an all red featht
proclaimed the fact of its wearer's hay
ing been wounded.
Sometimes an Indian who had bee
wounded covered the spot where he II
ceived the wound with white clay, an
on this put dab of red paint, the higt
est and probably earliest form of rea
3stiC art.
We are accustomed to associate tt
Black Hand" with Italians. This is a
error. The Indians adopted the sig
long ago to let it be known that tt
Wearer could bear the mark of one WI
bad killed an enemy. Often the haI
was life size, and the impression of
hand dipped in black paint.
The Indians recognized rules of prec
denCe other than ours. Wealth or wir
pulling did not function in obtainil
the Office Of war chief 1t was the ava
OF merit, and Of merit alone. While
elective office, the tribe could not affo