MALLERY ON THE DAKOTA CALENDAR. 5 



each year as it passed, and, wbeu sucli decision was made, be marked 

 what was considered by himself its appropriate symbol upon a buffalo- 

 robe kept for the purpose ; then calling together a number of the Da- 

 kota Nation, without regard to tribes, made known to them the sign for 

 the year, or "year-totem", and explained what event it represented. 

 This was done annually and formally, but it is understood that the robe 

 was at other convenient times exhibited to other Indians of the nation, 

 who were thus taught the meaning and use of the signs as designating 

 the several years, in order that at the death of — so to style him — 

 the official chronologer, the knowledge might not be lost. A similar 

 motive, as to the preservation of the record, led to its duplication in 

 1870 or 1871, so that Clement obtained it in a shape ending with the 

 former of those years. It was also reported by several Indians that 

 other copies of the chart in its various past stages of formation have 

 been known to exist among the several tribes, being probably kept for 

 reference. Lone Dog and his robe being so frequently inaccessible. 



Although Lone Dog is described as a very old Indian, it is not sup- 

 posed that he was of sufficient age in the year 1800 to enter upon the duty 

 as explained. Either there was a predecessor, from whom he received 

 the earlier records or obtained copies of them, or his work being first 

 undertaken when he had reached manhood, he gathered the traditions 

 from his elders and " worked back " so far as he could do so accurately, 

 the object either then or before being to establish some system of chro- 

 nology for the use of the nation. It has not, in the late condition 

 of the Indian country, been possible to reach him since the discov- 

 ery of Clement's copy, and no one has yet been found who can intel- 

 ligently state whether there exists any similar but earlier arrangement 

 of symbols. Publication of the facts now collected may prove of use, 

 if it shall lead persons having opportunity to pursue the subject, and 

 perhaps to obtain annals more ancient and valuable.* 



A query is naturally suggested whether intercourse with missionaries 

 and other whites did not first give the Dakotas some idea of dates and 

 awaken a sense of want in that direction. The fact that the calendar 

 begins at a time nearly coinciding with the first year of the present 

 century by our computation may be due to such intercourse, or may be 

 a mere coincidence. If the influence of missionaries or traders started 

 any plan of chronology, it is remarkable that they did not suggest one 



* To facilitate inquiry and verification, it may be useful to suggest that the name of 

 the supposed chronologer, " Lone Dog", as given to the writer by an interpreter, may 

 appear, from another interpreter, as the shade of meaning occurs to him, or as his taste 

 may incline, in a diftereut English form — e. g., as "The-One-Dog", " One Dog", or even 

 simply "The Dog" par excellence. Much confusion exists in the records and accounts of 

 Indian personages from these varied translatious, the actual name in the tribal dialect 

 being seldom mentioned. Nothing appears in the office of the Commissioners of Indian 

 Affairs about a " Lone Dog", though " Long Dog " was in recent times a prominent chief 

 of the Blackfoot Sioux, and it is just possible; tliat the writer caught the wrong sound 

 in the dictation. Unfortunately, the Dakota name, though given at the time, was not 

 reduced to writing, so as to be now verified. 



