THE ROLL CALL OF THE IROQUOIS CHIEFS 



A STUDY OF A MNEMONIC CANE FROM THE 

 SIX NATIONS RESERVE 1 



By WILLIAM N. FENTON 



Bureau of American Ethnology 



Smithsonian Institution 



(With 12 Plates) 



INTRODUCTION 



Canes from American Indian tribes are not uncommon in museum 

 collections. Frequently the sticks are carved or ornamented in diverse 

 ways but, unfortunately, in most instances the specimens are accom- 

 panied by but meager data concerning their general significance and 

 use apart from their obvious utilitarian purpose. Consequently 

 Indian canes constitute somewhat of a problem to curators of eth- 

 nological collections. It may be inferred that decorated canes sum- 

 moned the best talents of tribal artists who carved in the round or 

 engraved designs reflecting the characteristic style of tribe and region, 

 but lacking collectors' field notes, the symbolic intent of the adorn- 

 ments, if any, cannot be known. Such was the case with Iroquois 

 chiefs' canes and with one, in particular, which is the subject of the 

 present study. 



Americanists will recall that in the Southwest a staff, now an 

 American cane, is a symbol of authority for Pueblo governors, as 

 it was in Spain, and that staffs also serve as fetishes (White, 1932, 

 p. 60; Parsons, 1932, pp. 251-252; Bunzel, 1932; Aberle, 1948, p. 25). 

 The widespread use of notched or marked sticks for mere numera- 

 tion is abundantly documented in the literature (Mallery, 1893, p. 

 227). Dakota, Hidatsa, and Shoshoni noted the number of days 

 traveled by notching a stick; lowas visiting Paris in 1843 manifested 

 amazement and wonder at outlandish European custom, counting 

 the number of French women they saw leading dogs on the streets 



1 This report is published with the partial aid of a grant from the Cranbrook 

 Institute of Science. The field work was supported by grants from the Ameri- 

 can Council of Learned Societies, Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the Viking 

 Fund of New York City. 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS, VOL. Ill, NO. 15 



