246 CALENDAR HISTORY OF THE KIOWA [eth.ann.17 



TBIBAr, SIGlSr 



Riglit index finger rubbed briskly up and down along the back of 

 left index finger. Tbis is the generic sign f(n' all tribes of Apacbe con- 

 nection, including Apache proper, Navabo,Mescalero, Lipan, and Kiowa 

 Apache. Itis commonly interi)reted to mean " knife whetters" or '' whet- 

 stone people,'' and this is also the meaning of the generic term for Apache 

 in most of the ])Iaiiis languages. It is possible, however, that this is a 

 niisconceptioii of the original i)urpose of the sign, which may have had 

 reference to a peculiar musical instrument found in various forms 

 among the Pueblo and other Indians of the southwest. Clark says: 



I have heanl two distinct coui'c.ptious for this gesture, the Cheyenne elaiminf; tliat 

 the sign came from a peculiar uiusical instrument made from an elk horn, which 

 produced Tveird-like sounds by rubbing it btickward aud forward with a stick, and 

 the second (I do not remember what tribe gave me the conception) from a specially 

 good whetstone which the Apaches made and used (CTari-, 9). 



In a ]iersonal letter to the author Grinnell states, on Cheyenne 

 authority, that the sign "is not whetting a knife, which would be per- 

 formed by one open flat hand on back of other flat hand, and uot poor, 

 which would be passing right forefinger down over back of left fore- 

 flnger held vertically. The sign is said by the Cheyenne to refer to a 

 musical instrument used in old times by the Apache. This instrument 

 was played by passing the forefinger back and forth over the flat sur- 

 face of the instrument, from which surface a tongue protruded, which, 

 when struck, vibrated aud made the sound, somewhat after the manner 

 of tlie Jew's-harp." 



ORIGIN AND HISTORY 



The Kiowa Apache are a small tribe of Athapascan stock, number- 

 ing now about two hundred and twenty-five, associated with tlie Kiowa 

 fntm the earliest traditional period and forming a component part of 

 tlie Kiowa tribal circle, altliough reserving their distinct language; 

 they call themselves Nndiixha-dena, "our people." In the early French 

 records of the seventeenth century, in Lewis and (Clark's narrative, and 

 in their first treaty, in 1837, they are called by various forms of the 

 name Gdta Jm, the name by which they are known to the Pawnee, 

 although this does not neces.sarily imply that the word is of Pawnee 

 origin. They are possibly the Kaskaia or "Bad hearts" of Long in 

 1S20. The Kiowa call them by the contemptuous title of Semiif, 

 "thieves," a recent substitute for the older generic term Tmn'ti, applied 

 also to other tribes of the same stock. They are now commonly known 

 as Kiowa Apache, under a mistaken impression, arising from the fact 

 of their Athapascan aflQnity, that they are a detached band of the 

 Apache nation of Arizonii. On the contrary, they have never had any 

 politiciil connection with the Apache proper and were probably unaware 

 of their existence until about one hundred years ago. A few Mescalero 



