The Iowa Part 14

[7] Clark. INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE. Philadelphia, 1885.

[8] Mallery. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, ETC. B. A. E., _Introductions_, No. 3.

[9] See J. O. Dorsey in _The American Antiquarian, 1879_, and the same writer in _Bul. Philos. Soc., 1880_. The term literally translated means "belonging to this place" or "the home people." See also W J McGee in the _15th Rep._, B. A. E., 1897.

[10] Dorsey.

[11] Considerable controversy has taken place as to the actual meaning of this word. Various suggestions have been made, more generally by local writers, and in the confusion it is difficult to come to a final decision. The latest authorities prefer Gray Snow, and the task would be considerable to enumerate all those who have written on the subject. W.

W. Hildreth in _Annals of Iowa_, April, 1864, gives the derivation from the Omaha word Py-ho-ja, or "Grey Snow." It has been claimed that the word is of Dakota origin and that it was written by the French Aiouez (see Charlevoix, 1723) and that its anglicization was gradual. The present meaning of _Iowa_ in the Dakota is "something to write or paint with." Schoolcraft is authority for the statement that the tribes called themselves Pa-ho-ches, meaning "Dusty Nose," or "Dirty Face," and Foster in the text emphasizes this point. One writer boldly a.s.serts that the word Iowa is a corruption from Kiowa, and Antoine Le Claire, the celebrated half-breed interpreter, stated that the word in his tongue signified "this is the place." Taylor Pierce, long connected with the trading post of Fort Des Moines, testified in favor of _Kiowa_, giving it the same definition as last named. Fulton (RED MEN OF IOWA) mentions certain writers who interpreted the word as "beautiful." W. E. Richey (MEMOIRS OF THE EXPLORATION OF THE BASIN OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, Volume VII, 1903) says, "I feel inclined to think that the word _Iowa_ came from Harahey...." For a full discussion of this subject see _Annals of Iowa_, April, 1864, and July, 1896.

[12] See Mooney, THE CHEYENNE INDIANS, _Mem. of the Amer. Anthro.

a.s.soc._ No. 1, 1907. His map as given there is especially useful.

[13] See Williamson, MINN. HIST. SOC. COLL., Vol. I, (reprint 1902), page 242. According to this authority the Iowa were known as Ayuhba, which form is also used by Riggs, DAKOTA GRAMMAR AND DICTIONARY, 1852.

In MEMOIRS OF EXPLORATIONS IN THE BASIN OF THE MISSISSIPPI, Vol. III, 1900, is included an excellent historical chart by N. H. Winch.e.l.l showing geographical names and other data prior to Nicollet's Map of 1841. This shows the location of the Iowa tribe in that section between the present southern boundary of Iowa and lower Minnesota on the east, and along the southern bank of the Missouri river to the westward.

Catlin's Map of 1833 places this tribe in the southwestern portion of the State of Iowa.

[14] See note 60.

[15] For an extended account of the Recollet Father Zen.o.be Membre, see Le Clercq's FIRST ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FAITH IN NEW FRANCE, Shea's translation, II, 133; 1881.

[16] See Richman (I. B.). AMONG THE QUAKERS, AND OTHER SKETCHES, 3rd ed.

Contains _Mascoutin, A Reminiscence of the Nation of Fire_.

[17] Original in St. Mary's College Archives, Montreal and reproduced in THE JESUIT RELATIONS, published by The Burrows Brothers Co. See also Joliet's Map of 1674 (_ibid._ vol. LIX.) where relative positions are practically the same.

[18] Michel Accault, a companion of La Salle.

[19] See Prof. N. H. Winch.e.l.l's admirable map contained in Volume III, MEMOIRS OF EXPLORATIONS IN THE BASIN OF THE MISSISSIPPI, St. Paul, 1900.

This chart shows with great precision the geographical names and their dates, given prior to Nicollet's map of 1841, and locates the Iowa on the west bank of the Mississippi, near the "Riviere de Aiounoues"

according to Franquelin's map of 1684, and also in a s.p.a.ce bounded on the north and east by the St. Peter's river (Minisoute Ouadeba or St.

Peters river of Jefferys, 1762) and on the south and west by the Riviere aux Liards and Redwood river respectively, of Long. Franquelin's map, _Carte de la Louisiane_, a facsimile of which is in the Library of Harvard University, (the original formerly in the Archives of the Marine, in Paris, has been lost), locates the Ai8u8e and the Paote on the Riviere des Ai8u8e (Iowa).

[20] In Thwaites' edition of Lewis & Clark (ORIGINAL JOURNALS, VI, 91-92, 1905) the number is given as "200 warriors or 400 souls, eighteen leagues up Platte river on the S. E. side, although they formerly lived on the Missouri above the Platte." When the traders first knew the Iowa the band consisted of about 800 souls. Their princ.i.p.al points of commerce were Robidoux's Post at Black Hills, the present site of St.

Joseph, Missouri, and at Council Bluffs, though not as extensively at the latter. See Chittenden, THE AMERICAN FUR TRADE, p. 874, and also THE HENRY AND THOMPSON JOURNALS, Coues ed., for an account of Robidoux's dealings. Maximilian's TRAVELS, Vol. 1, p. 257 _note_, has a valuable reference.

[21] Probably what was then known as the Big Platte in Nebraska.

[22] See F. J. Goodfellow, S. D. HIST. COLL., Vol. 2, also the original translation of a portion of Le Sueur's _Voyage_ in WIS. HIST. COLL., Vol. XVI. The Fort took its name from L'Huillier, one of the French farmer generals and Le Sueur's patron. In September, 1700, Le Sueur reached the present site of Mankato, Minn., and built the Fort, which according to most authorities was completed Oct. 14 of that year. The post was abandoned in 1703.

[23] REP. OF SEC. OF WAR, 1829.

[24] PIKE'S EXPEDITION, ETC., ETC., edited by Elliott Coues, 1895.

[25] JESUIT RELATIONS, Vol. LX, also note 60.

[26] Buffalo hides. The earlier explorers referred to the buffalo (Bison america.n.u.s) under various cognomens. _Boeuf sauvage_, was the name given to it by Du Pratz; the Canadian voyageurs termed it simply _le boeuf_.

See Allen, HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON, 1877.

[27] Red Pipestone, a fine grained argillaceous sediment, the a.n.a.lysis of which is as follows: Silica, 48:20, alumina, 28:20, ferric oxide, 5, carbonate of lime, 2:60, manganous oxide, 0:60, magnesia, 6, water 8:40, loss 1. First brought to the attention of mineralogists by George Catlin and named in his honor "catlinite."

[28] The important feature of camping was left to the women, according to the Indian custom. Occasion often controlled circ.u.mstances as to the form of this particular ceremony. Hunting, visiting, or war parties were usually carefully organized. The tribal circle, each segment composed of a clan, gens or band, made a living picture of tribal organization and responsibilities. The usual opening through the circle was toward the east, which calls to mind religious rites and obligations of an earlier people, being further exemplified in the position which was usually given to the ceremonial tents. See A. C. Fletcher in _Pub. of the Peabody Museum_.

[29] The clan or gens among the American Indians is an intertribal, exogamic group of persons actually or theoretically consanguine. See J.

N. B. Hewitt in BUL. 30, B. A. E., and J. W. Powell in the 17TH REP., B.

A. E., Part I, 1898, page 29 _pa.s.sim_. Throughout all of the American tribes of savagery it has been found that peculiar groups of persons are organized and known as shamanistic societies or phratries, viz: banded religious bodies. The term however must be extended that it may include the ceremonies which the savage believed to be religious. Peace and warfare, health and disease, welfare and want, pleasure and pain, all, whether good or evil, are believed to be under control of such societies as noted. The gens is to be found in Greek and Roman history, where it is known as the agnatic kindred. The tribe remains a body of consanguineal kindred: it is composed of groups of gentes that are incest groups, and the mates in marriage must belong to different gentes. See appendix A.

[30] For an account of the mythical origin of each of the Iowa gens, see J. O. Dorsey, SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE SIOUAN TRIBE in the _Journal of American Folklore_, Vol. IV, 1891, No. XV, page 338. This was recorded by Rev. William Hamilton in 1848 and was published from a letter by him to the children of the Presbyterian Sunday schools. Dorsey also obtained from the Iowa, during a visit to that tribe in 1880, a list of the gentes and later perfected this with a list of the subgentes. This list is included herewith as an appendix from the 15TH REP., B. A. E., 1897.

[31] Dorsey. SIOUAN SOCIOLOGY.

[32] See Cyrus Thomas. MOUND EXPLORATIONS, 12TH REP., B. A. E., 1894, page 111. A plan of the section noted above is given in this report, which is the most complete on mound exploration ever attempted. It may well be termed definitive.

[33] The study of games as played among North American Indians, is a field in itself. This has been covered most exhaustively by Mr. Stewart Culin in his recent work, GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS: (24th Rep., B. A. E., 1907), and to this volume we refer any student who wishes to make detailed researches. In addition to this work, Catlin's great contribution to the history of the North American tribes is in itself a mine of general information, though his little volume ent.i.tled THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS, published in London in 1844, treats of the games of the Iowa more particularly. Where possible the earlier edition of that writer's LETTERS AND NOTES should be used rather than the later issues with the colored plates, such method of ill.u.s.tration having been condemned by Catlin from the beginning. INDIAN GAMES AN HISTORICAL RESEARCH by Andrew McFarland Davis, is a valuable monograph. All of the above refer _in extenso_ to the Iowa.

[34] THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS. London, 1844. This little pamphlet is now scarce, and was written by Catlin at the instance of the parties who brought the Indians to London. He was particularly interested from an humanitarian point of view. An edition was issued in Paris, a year later, with woodcuts by Porret, adding interest to the work.

[35] THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS.

[36] _Ibid._

[37] A translation of the song for this occasion is as follows:

"Take care of yourself-shoot well, or you lose, You warned me, but, see! I have defeated you!

I am one of the Great Spirit's children!

Wa-konda I am! I am Wa-konda!"

See Alice C. Fletcher's paper, _Tribal Structure_, as included in THE PUTNAM ANNIVERSARY VOLUME, Cedar Rapids, 1909, for a further exposition of the word Wa-K_on_'-da.

[38] Culin. GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

[39] In a game witnessed by the writer, on the Sauk and Fox Reservation at Tama, Iowa, in 1907, the ball used was wood. This tribe is slow to acquire new ideas, nor has it advanced greatly during the last fifty years. The game was one of intense excitement and is still played along the same lines as in the earlier days of this once powerful band.

[40] FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM CATALOG, No. 71404.

[41] THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS.

[42] The oldest attempt at a detailed description of the game is given by Nicolas Perrot, MeMOIRE SUR LES MOEURS, COSTUMES ET RELIGION DES SAUVAGES DE L'AMeRIQUE SEPTENTRIONALE. First printed in Paris in 1864.

[43] See Catlin. THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS, page 19, for a translation in full of this song.

[44] THE FOURTEEN IOWAY INDIANS, page 20.

[45] _Ibid._, page 21. In the French translation of this pamphlet these _chansons_ are particularly well rendered.

[46] A contrary statement is made by Messrs. Irvin and Hamilton in Schoolcraft's HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES, Vol. III, page 260, (1853), wherein the Iowa are mentioned as being "but a remnant of a once numerous and considerable nation." Estimates as follows given as a total-in 1764 (Bouquet) 1100; 1804 (Lewis & Clark) 800; 1822 (Morse) 1000; 1829 (Sec. of War) 1000; 1832 (Drake) 1100; 1843 (Report Indian Affairs) 470; and the Donaldson Report (11th Census, taken from Jackson catalog of photographs, etc., Was.h.i.+ngton, 1877) 1894, states that their number reached 1500 early in the 19th century. Catlin conjectures 1400 in 1832 and 992 in 1836. The total remnant of the tribe in 1905 was 314; in 1908, 339, these figures being from official sources.

[47] Writing in 1876, the author seems unfamiliar with Pere Andre's reference to the tribe in 1676, and quotes from Le Sueur who knew this band first in 1700.