BULL. 30] 



PIEKOUAGAMI PIERCED TABLETS 



247 



gan.— Maximilian, Trav., 508, 1843. Piekane. — 

 Proc. Brit. A. A. S., Sept. 188.5, 2. Piekann.— Maxi- 

 milian, Trav., 227, 1843. Pigans.— Duflot de Mo- 

 fras, Explor., ii, 342. 1844. Pikani.— Wilkes, U. S. 

 Expl. Exped., IV, 471, 184.5. Pikun'-i.— Hayden, 

 Ethnog. and Philol. Mo. Val., 256, 1862. Pil- 

 gans.— Wilkes, V. S. Expl. Exped., iv, 471, 1845 

 (misprint). Teagans.— Ind. Aff. Rep., 473, 1838 

 (misprint). 



Piekouagami (a form seemingly cognate 

 with the Cree Fii/aknagami and with 

 Pakwagami, the Algonkin name of the 

 Montagnais, the elements of which are 

 pdkkwa' shallow (water),' 'flat,' and -garni 

 'lake,' 'expanse of water,' the two ele- 

 ments together signifying 'flat lake. ' The 

 so-called vocalic change transforms pdk- 

 ku'aintopiyakkuu,which v.-\th -gavri forins 

 Plyakkwagami, or, as sometimes writ- 

 ten, Pkikivagami, originally the name 

 given to L. St John, Canada, by the 

 Kakouchaki, or Porcupine tribe. From 

 the Jesuit Relation for 1672 (44, 1858) it 

 is learned that the country around L. St 

 John was beautiful, and the soil was good 

 and land abounded in otter, elk, beaver, 

 and especially in porcupines. For this 

 reason the peojjle who dwelt on the shores 

 of this lake received the name Kakouchac 

 {Kdkkaseivok, 'porcupines,' not from 

 kdkwa, 'porcupine,' but rather from a 

 term which is the source of both, namely, 

 kdkk, 'rude, rough, or harsh to the 

 touch'; whence, Kdkkasewok, 'they have 

 skin harsh to the touch'). 



According to the Jesuit Relation for 

 1641 (57, 1858), the Kakouchaki, or Por- 

 cupine people, were one of a number of 

 inland tribes which, having heard the 

 gospel in their own countries, were ex- 

 pected to remove to the residence of St 

 Joseph at Sillery, although the fear of the 

 Iroquois, the common enemy of all these 

 tribes, was a great obstacle to the con- 

 templated removal and consolidation of 

 small tribes. The Porcupines were re- 

 puted good, docile, and quite easily won 

 to the Christian faith. 



From the Jesuit Relation for 1672 

 (44, 1858), it appears that at that early 

 time (1641-72) L. St John was a trading 

 center for all the tribes dwelling between 

 Hudson bay and St Lawrence r. ; that 

 more than 20 tribes had been seen at 

 this place; that the Porcupines were 

 greatly reduced in numbers by their re- 

 cent wars with the Iroquois and by small- 

 pox; but that since the general jieace of 

 1666 the population had increased by 

 small additions from other tribes arriving 

 there from various places. 



The Jesuit Relation for 1647 (65, 1858), 

 in describing the lake, says: "It is sur- 

 rounded by a flat country ending in high 

 mountains distant from 3, 4, or 5 leagues 

 from its banks; it is fed by about 15 

 rivers, which serve as highways to the 

 small tribes which are inland to come to 

 fish therein and to maintain the trade 

 and friendship which exist among them. 



NDED Slate; Michigan 



.... We rowed for some time on this 

 lake, and finally we arrived at the place 

 where the Indians of the 'nation of the 

 Porcupine' were." This would indicate 

 that the dwelling-placeof the Kakouchaki, 

 or Porcupine people, was some distance 

 from the outlet of the lake. (.i. n. b. h. ) 



Nation du Pore-Epic— Jes. Rel. 1641, 57, 1858. Pei- 

 kuagamiu.— Arnaud (1880) quoted by Rouillard, 

 Noms G6og., 83, 1906. PeokSagamy. — Crespieul 

 (1700) quoted, ibid. Peyakwagami.— Lafleche 

 quoted, ibid. (Cree name). Piagouagami. — Jes. 

 Rel. 16.52, 16, 1858. Piakouakamy.— Normandin 

 (1732) quoted, ibid. Piakuakamits. — Lemoine 

 (1901) quoted, ibid. Pichouagamis. — Toussaint, 

 Map of Am., 1839. Pickovagam. — .\lcedo, Die. 

 Geog., IV, 205, 1788. Piekouagamiens. — Jefferys, Fr. 

 Doms., pt. I, IS, 1761. Piekouagamis. — La Tour, 

 Map, 1779. Piekovagamiens. — Esnauts and Rap- 

 illv, Map, 1777. Pikogami. — Homann Heirs' Map, 

 1784. Pockaguma. — Schoolcraft (1838) in H. R. 

 Doc. 107, 2.5tli Cong., 3d se.'^s., 9, 1839. 



Pierced tablets. A numerous and widely 

 distributed class of prehistoric objects of 

 problematical significance and use. The 

 typical forms are flat, oblong tablets of 

 stone, and 

 more rarely of 

 copper, shell, 

 and bone. 

 They are often 

 rectangular in 

 outline, but 

 the margin is 

 modified in many ways, and sometimes 

 shows ornamental notchings, and, occa- 

 sionally, rude ornamental or symbolic de- 

 signs are engraved on the flat surfaces. 

 The ends of the tab- 

 lets are in cases 

 pointed or rounded, 

 and again they ex- 

 pand like ax blades 

 or the spread wings 

 of a bird. Rarely 

 the outline of the 

 tablet assumes the shape of a bird; these 

 forms approach the banner stones ( q. v. ) . 

 Others are convex on one face and flat 

 or concave on the other, suggesting re- 

 lationship with 

 the boat-stones 

 (q.v.). General- 

 ly there are two 

 perforations, oc- 

 casionally one, 

 and in a few 

 cases three or 

 even more. 

 Those having 

 one perforation placed near one end are 

 oftensomewhat celtshaped, butl)eingthin 

 and fragile may be classed as pendants; 

 they seem to be allied to the spade stones 

 (q. v.). Tho.se with two or more holes 

 were probably fixed to some part of the 

 costume, or to some article of ceremony. 

 The holes are usuall}^ countersunk from 

 both sides of the plate, and often show- 

 decided effects of wear by cords of suspen- 

 sion or attachment. Many of these ob- 

 jects are made of slate. Their distribu- 



Steatite; north Carolina 



Banded Slate; Ohio (i) 



