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Indian Scout Talks: A Guide for Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, a non-fiction book by Charles Alexander Eastman |
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Chapter 17. Indian Girls' Names And Symbolic Decorations |
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_ CHAPTER XVII. INDIAN GIRLS’ NAMES AND SYMBOLIC DECORATIONS All Indian art is symbolic, and the decorative native designs may be so applied in bead-work, basketry, weaving, embroidery, or jewelry as to express the ideals and personality of the maker. This is true of all the tribes, but the individual symbols vary with their customs and habitat. [Illustration: Fig. 11.] In all genuine Sioux handiwork, the central design is the isosceles triangle (Fig. 11), representing the conical teepee or tent—the home. This is used in many different ways. Two tents with the bases united, forming a diamond (Fig. 12), indicate the four points of the compass, or the whole world. Two tents with the peaks together (Fig. 13) are symbolic of life here and hereafter. The dark tent cut in half with a band of white, yellow, or light blue in the center (Fig. 14) signifies happiness in the home. The tent enclosed in a circle (Fig. 15) means eternal union. [Illustration: Fig. 12.] [Illustration: Fig. 13.] [Illustration: Fig. 14.] [Illustration: Fig. 15.] [Illustration: Fig. 16.] Figure 16 is commonly used to represent footprints or man’s trail through the world. The zig-zag line (Fig. 17) is lightning or destruction; the wavy line (Fig. 18) mountains or prayer. [Illustration: Fig. 17.] [Illustration: Fig. 18.] In the symbolism of colors, pale blue or white is generally used for background, and represents sky or heaven; red, life; dark blue or black, shadow or trouble; green, summer or plenty; and yellow, sun-light or happiness. Dark blue, dovetailed with pale blue or yellow, represents the light and shade of life’s common experience. Animal figures are much used in conventionalized designs. The figure of the bear means courage; the buffalo, plenty; the eagle (wings spread), honor; the owl, observation; the wolf, skill; the turtle, wisdom and longevity; the serpent, healing; the hawk, swiftness; the beaver, industry; the deer, love. The figure of a man on horseback represents a warrior. No Indian girl may wear the skin or any representation of the bear, wolf, or cat, nor wear the feathers of the eagle, since these are masculine emblems. The doe, ermine, otter, and mink are feminine emblems. It is usually possible to distinguish feminine from masculine personal names by the meaning. The names of the fiercer wild animals, such as bear, wolf, and eagle, are given to boys; girls are called after the fawn, mink, beaver, etc. Either may be called after sky, wind, or water, but the name of Fire is masculine. The syllable “wee” is a feminine termination. “Na” is a diminutive, used much like “ie” in English. The following are Sioux feminine names appropriate to “Camp Fire girls,” with their literal and symbolic meanings. _ Read next: Chapter 18. The Language Of Feathers And Ceremonial Dress Read previous: Chapter 16. Indian Names And Their Significance Table of content of Indian Scout Talks: A Guide for Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls GO TO TOP OF SCREEN Post your review Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book |
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