412 TEIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [bth. ann. 40 



immense size, but their traditions never make mention of the living 

 animal. To these bones, etc., they assign the general name of Wan- 

 wan-kah, which is a creature of their own imagination, half spirit, 

 half animal. Any whirlwind or great tempest would be attributed 

 to the movements of the Wan-wan-kah, also any other natural phe- 

 nomenon. Many stories are told of its actions, but all are fabulous, 

 although they profess to believe in the existence of its powers, some 

 even stating they have seen it crossing the Missouri in the form of a 

 large fish covering half the breadth of that river. 4 



Animals Used as Armorial Marks. — These armorial marks or 

 symbols, such as the eagle, owl, bear, serpent, etc., do not represent 

 any tribal organization but kinship occasionally. Neither do they 

 refer to any traditions of any early date, but are insignia adopted 

 by themselves as their medicine or charm. Most Indians have a 

 charm of this kind, either in consequence of some dream or of an idea 

 that the figure has some effect in carrying out his views regarding 

 war, the chase, or the health of his family. These are assumed for 

 his own purposes, whether real or imaginary, to operate on his 

 own actions or to influence those of other Indians. To these tangi- 

 ble objects, after Wakonda, who is a spirit, they address their 

 prayers and invocations. Neither do these symbols affect them re- 

 garding the killing of the same animals on all occasions, though after 

 he has killed it he will smoke and propitiate [the spirit of] the 

 dead carcass, and even offer the head small sacrifices of tobacco 

 and provisions. 



The Horse 



Era or the Importation of the Horse. — When the horse was first 

 introduced among them does not appear by any of the traditions of 

 these ignorant people. The name of the horse in Assiniboin is 

 shunga (dog) tunga (large), i. e., large dog. Among the Sioux it 

 is named shunka (dog) wakan (divining), i. e., divining dog, which 

 would only prove that the dog was anterior to the horse, inas- 

 much as they were obliged to make a name for the strange animal 

 resembling some known object with which it could be afterwards 

 compared. 



Pictographs 



Charts on Bark. — Their drawings of maps and sections of coun- 

 try are in execution miserable to us but explanatory among them- 

 selves. Most Indians can carve on a tree, or paint, who they are, 

 where going, whence come, how many men, horses, and guns the 

 party is composed of, whether they have killed enemies, or lost 

 friends, and, if so, how many, etc., and all Indians passing by, either 



1 See page 617 at the end of their oral tales. 



