MOONS OR MONTHS OF OTHER TRIBES
Some extracts from standard authorities on other wild tribes may be of interest in connection with the moons or months of the Kiowa.
Hidatsa and Mandan—"Many writers represent that savage Indian tribes divide the year into twelve periods corresponding to our months, and that each month is named from some meteorological occurrence or phase of organic creation observable at the time. Among others, Maximilian presents us with a list of twelve months; 'the month of the seven cold days,' 'the pairing month,' 'the month of weak eyes,' etc.; he introduces this list in one of his chapters descriptive of the Mandans. He does not say it is their list of months, but publishes it without comment, and yet it is presented in such a manner as to lead the reader to suppose that it is the regular and original Mandan calendar. Other authors present lists of Indian months in much the same way. As the results of my own observations, I should say that the Mandan and Minnetaree are generally aware that there are more than twelve lunations in a year, that they as yet know nothing of our manner of dividing the year, and that although, when speaking of 'moons,' they often connect them with natural phenomena, they have no formal names for the lunar periods. I think the same might be said of other tribes who are equally wild.
"The Hidatsa recognize the lapse of time by days, lunar periods, and years; also by the regular recurrence of various natural phenomena, such as the first formation of ice in the fall, the breaking of the ice in the Missouri in the spring, the melting of the snowdrifts, the coming of the wild geese from the south, the ripening of various fruits, etc. A common way of noting time a few years ago was by the development of the buffalo calf in utero. A period thus marked by a natural occurrence, be it long or short, is called by them the kadu, season, time, of such an occurrence. Some long seasons include shorter seasons; thus they speak of the season of strawberries, the season of service-berries, etc., as occurring within the season of warm weather. They speak of the seasons of cold weather or of snow, of warm weather, and of death or decay, which we consider as agreeing with our seasons of winter, summer, and fall; but they do not regularly allot a certain number of moons to each of these seasons. Should you ask an interpreter who knew the European calendar what were the Indian names of the months, he would probably give you names of a dozen of these periods or natural seasons, as we might call them, corresponding in time to our months. In a few years, when these Indians shall know more of our system of noting time than they now do, they will devise and adopt regular Hidatsa names for the months of our calendar" (Matthews, 4).
Pawnee.—"They had no method of computing years by calendric notation. Occasionally a year that had been marked by some important event, as a failure of crops, unusual sickness, or a disastrous hunt, was referred to as a year by itself, but at a few years' remove even this mark became indistinct or faded altogether away. Any occurrence ten or twelve years past was usually designated as long ago. Their great use of the past was not as history, but simply as a storehouse of tradition, and this tendency soon enveloped the most important events with a semi-traditional glamour. When time was computed by years, it was done by winters. The year comprised alternately twelve and thirteen moons or months.... The intercalary month, ŭsarĕr´ăhu, was usually inserted at the close of the summer months. The regular months were grouped as with us by threes, the first three constituting winter (pi´c̀ĭkŭt), the second three spring (ora´rĕkaru), the next three summer (li´ŭt), the last three autumn (lĕtskukĭ). The year was also divided into two seasons (kŭt´ĭharu), a warm and a cold. As may be readily anticipated, there was much confusion in their system of reckoning by moons. They sometimes became inextricably involved and were obliged to have recourse to objects about them to rectify their computations. Councils have been known to be disturbed, or even broken up, in consequence of irreconcilable differences of opinion as to the correctness of their calculations."
"As an aid to the memory, they frequently made use of notches cut in a stick or some similar device for the computation of nights (for days were counted by nights) or even of months and years. Pictographically a day or daytime was represented by a six or eight pointed star, thus, *, as a symbol of the sun. A simple cross, thus X (a star), was a symbol of a night; and a crescent, thus ☾, represented a moon or lunar month" (Dunbar, 1).
Dakota, and Cheyenne.—"The Dakota count their years by winters (which is quite natural, as that season in their high levels and latitudes practically lasts more than six months), and say a man is so many snows old, or that so many snow seasons have passed since an occurrence. They have no division of time into weeks, and their months are absolutely lunar, only twelve, however, being designated, which receive their names upon the recurrence of some prominent physical phenomenon. For example, the period partly embraced by February is called the 'raccoon moon'; March, 'the sore eye moon;' and April, that in which the geese lay eggs. As the appearance of raccoons after hibernation, the causes inducing inflamed eyes, and oviposition by geese vary with the meteorological character of each year, and as the twelve lunations reckoned do not bring them back to the point in the season where counting commenced, there is often dispute in the Dakota tipis toward the end of winter as to the correct current date" (Mallery, 4).
"Some tribes have twelve named moons in the year, but many tribes have not more than six; and different bands of the same tribe, if occupying widely separated sections of the country, will have different names for the same moon. Knowing well the habits of animals, and having roamed over vast areas, they readily recognize any special moon that may be mentioned, even though their name for it may be different. One of the nomenclatures used by the Teton-Sioux and Cheyenne beginning with the moon just before winter is as follows:
1. The moon the leaves fall off.
2. The moon the buffalo cow's fœtus is getting large.
3. The moon the wolves run together.
4. The moon the skin of the fœtus of buffalo commences to color.
5. The moon the hair gets thick on buffalo fœtus; called also "men's mouth" or "hard mouth."
6. The sore-eyed moon; buffalo cows drop their calves.
7. The moon the ducks come.
8. The moon the grass commences to get green and some roots are fit to be eaten.
9. The moon the corn is planted.
10. The moon the buffalo bulls are fat.
11. The moon the buffalo cows are in season.
12. The moon that the plums get red" (Clark, 16).
Klamath and Modok.—Their months "do not coincide with the months of our calendar, for they extend from one new moon to the next one, and therefore should be more properly called moons or lunations. Twelve and a half of them make up the year, and they are counted on the fingers of both hands. The first moon of their year begins on the first new moon after their return from the wokash harvest [about the end of August], at Klamath Marsh, which is the time when all the provisions and needful articles have been gathered in for the winter. They have now generally discarded the former method of counting moons upon fingers, and instead of it they reckon time by the seasons in which natural products are harvested (Gatschet, 1).
Bannock.—They distinguish the earlier moons thus: First, "running season for game;" second, "big moon;" third, "black smoke" (cold); fourth, "bare spots along the trail" (i. e., no snow in places); fifth, "little grass, or grass first comes up." They have no names for moons after the season gets warm (Clark, 17).
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY— SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. LXXX
THE ANKO CALENDAR
THE ANKO MONTHLY CALENDAR (August, 1889—July, 1893.)
Fig. 193—T'águñótal P'a Sän.
Fig. 194—T'águñótal P'a.
T'águñótal P'a Sän. The calendar begins about the first of August, 1889. The figure above the crescent (moon or month) is intended for the antler of a deer, in allusion to the name of this moon. No event is noted.
T'águñótal P'a. The same symbol is used for the month. No event is recorded, because, as Anko explains, this part of his original calendar was accidentally burned.
Gákiñăt'o P'a. The name means "Ten-colds moon," indicated by the ten strokes below the crescent. When this moon was one day old, a woman falsely accused of being with another man was whipped by her husband; indicated by the figure of a woman with a rod touching her head and one stroke below.
Ä`gâ´nti. The first syllable of the name, ä, signifies a feather. Anko has therefore indicated the moon in its serial order by the figure of a feather above the crescent. No event is recorded. The three strokes show that he drew the picture on the third day of the moon.
Fig. 195—Gakiñat'o P'a—Woman whipped.
Fig. 196—Ä`gâ´nti.
Fig. 197—Tépgañ P'a—Wagon stalled.
Tépgañ P'a. The name means "Geese-going moon," and the crescent lines inverted above the regular moon crescent is intended for a conventional representation of a double line of flying geese (see [next figure]). The rest of the picture means that his wagon was stalled on the second day of this moon.
Fig. 198—Gañhíña P'a—Annuity issue.
Gañhíña P'a (January? 1890). "Real-goose moon," the name being indicated by the picture of a double line of flying geese; the single stroke and the boot record the fact that the issue of annuity goods for the year began on the first day of this moon.
Fig. 199—Ka`gúăt P'a Sän—Mares foal.
Ka`gúăt P'a Sän. The name, "Little-bud moon," is indicated by the figure of a budding tree above the crescent. The mares foal now; shown by the picture of a horse. He says the whites usually begin to plow now. It was drawn on the first day (one stroke) of the moon.
Ka`gúăt P'a, "Bud moon." Indicated by a tree with red buds. The rude figure of an ax sticking in the tree shows that he began to split rails in this moon.
Aideñ P'a, "leaf moon." The name is indicated by the figure of a tree with green leaves. He lost his horses, hunted, found them, and drove them home; shown by the representation of horses and horse tracks.
Pai Ä`gâ´nti. There is nothing to indicate the name of the moon. In this moon (about May, 1890) the Kiowa, having first heard of the ghost-dance messiah, went and camped with the Arapaho and Cheyenne to learn more about it from them. It is indicated by pictures of the three tipis above the crescent.
Fig. 200—Ka`gúăt P'a—Split rails.
Fig. 201—Aideñ P'a—Horses lost.
Fig. 202—Pai Ä`gâ´nti—Visit Cheyenne.
Fig. 203—Pai Tépgañ P'a—Ghost dance.
Pai Tépgañ P'a. There is nothing to indicate the name of the moon. They went again to the Cheyenne when the moon was two days old (two strokes) and danced the ghost dance with them for the first time. The picture shows two persons wearing the head feather and holding hands as in the ghost dance.
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY— SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. LXXXI
ANKO
Pai Gañhíña P'a (July, 1890). There is nothing to indicate the name of the moon. In this moon, on July 20, 1890, the agent sent troops to prevent the sun dance, as already related (see summer [1890]); there was also a payment of grass money by the cattlemen on the third day of the moon. The record is made by means of the picture of the decorated medicine pole, the three circles for dollars, and the three strokes for the time. This ends his first year of moons.
Fig. 204—Pai Gañhíña P'a—Sun dance stopped; Grass payment.
Fig. 205—T'águñótal P'a Sän.
Fig. 206—T'águñótal P'a—Ä´piatañ.
T'águñótal P'a Sän. No event is recorded. The name of the moon is indicated by means of a figure intended to represent the antlers of a deer.
Fig. 207—Gákiñăt'o P'a—Sitting-bull.
T'águñótal P'a. The artist has tried to indicate the name of the moon, as before, by a picture of the branching antlers of a deer, under the human figure, intended for Ä´piatañ, who went during this moon to visit the ghost dance messiah, as already narrated. (See winter 1890—91.)
Fig. 208—Ä`gâ´nti.
Gákiñăt'o P'a. The moon name is indicated as before. In this month Sitting-bull, the Arapaho apostle of the ghost dance, came to teach the doctrine to the Kiowa, and a great ghost dance was held on the Washita; this was about October, 1890 (see winter [1890—91]). The human figure beside the buffalo indicates the name "Sitting-bull."
Ä`gâ´nti. The moon name is indicated as before. No event is recorded.
Fig. 210—Gañhíña—Annuity issue.
Tépgañ P'a (January, 1891). It is indicated in the regular way. In this moon the three schoolboys were frozen to death, as already related (winter 1890—91); they ran away from the school on January 9, 1891, and are represented by the figures as wearing hats and holding out a book. Anko drew only two figures, but explains that "everybody knows there were three."
Fig. 209—Tépgañ P'a—Schoolboys frozen.
Gañhíña P'a. The moon is indicated as before. The annuity issue was made in this moon, shown by the pictures of a boot and a blanket. This was about the end of January, 1891.
Ka`gúăt P'a Sän (February, 1891). The moon is indicated in the regular way, and the rude human figure is intended by the artist for Ä´piatañ, who returned this month (February, 1891) from his visit to the Indian messiah (see winter [1890—91]). The two strokes show that he returned, or that the picture was drawn, on the second day of the moon.
Ka`gúăt P'a. It is indicated as before by means of a budding tree. The agent issued wire for fencing, shown by a reel of wire upon the tree, with a single stroke for the date.
Aídeñ P'a. It is indicated as before by a tree in foliage. No event is recorded.
Fig. 211—Ka`gúăt P'a Sän—Ä´piatañ.
Fig. 212—Ka`gúăt P'a—Wire issue.
Fig. 213—AídeñP'a.
Fig. 214—Pai Ä`gâ´nti—Treaty sale.
Pai Ä`gâ´nti (June, 1891). There is nothing to indicate the name of the moon. About this time a commission came to negotiate with the Caddo and Wichita for a sale of their reservation; an agreement was reached in June, 1891 (Report, 117). The figure shows a white man and an Indian beside a sectional figure to represent the allotments of lands, with circles above for the purchase money.
Pai Tépgañ P'a (July, 1891). There is nothing to distinguish the moon. In this moon occurs the Fourth of July, on which occasion there are always great gatherings of the Indians for races at Fort Sill and Anadarko. Anko ran races with the rest, but lost his bet. The figure shows a quirt and a dollar, for the race and the bet.
Pai Gañhíña P'a. There is nothing to show the name of the moon. A young man "stole" the wife of Paul Sétk`opte, indicated by the picture of a woman beside a man wearing a pair of buffalo horns, Sétk`opte when a boy having been known as "Buffalo-horns." This ends the second year of the calendar.
Fig. 215—Pai Tépgañ P'a—Races.
Fig. 216—Pai Gañhíña P'a—Woman stolen.
T'águñótal P'a Sän. The figure at the extreme top is intended for a deer antler, to indicate the name of the moon. The Kiowa visited the Cheyenne to dance the "Pueblo dance," which they obtained originally from the Pueblo Indians, and received in return several war-bonnets as presents; in this dance the men carry rattles in their hands, and the women follow behind. The picture shows a man wearing a war-bonnet and holding out a rattle, while a woman follows him.
T'águñótal P'a. The moon is distinguished as before by a picture of a deer antler above the principal figure, which, although rudely drawn, is intended for a man with a snake near his head; this records the killing of P'odalä´ñte, "Coming-snake," as already related (see summer [1891]).
Fig. 217—T'águñótal P'a Sän—Pueblo dance.
Gákiñat'o P'a. The moon is distinguished as before by the ten strokes below the crescent. In this moon T'enétaide, "Bird-chief," alias P'ató, was sick, and they made "medicine" for his recovery, indicated by the picture of the sacred pipe; in this moon also Anko cut wood for the government, noted in the figure of a man with an ax beside a tree. The two strokes within the crescent may refer to the date either of one of the events noted or to the day on which the picture was drawn.
Fig. 218—T'aguñótal P'a—P'odalä´ñte killed.
Fig. 219—Gákiñat'o P'a—Made medicine; Cut wood.
Ä`gâ´nti (November, 1892). The name of this moon is indicated as before by the picture of a feather above the crescent; the crescent itself is filled in with black between the horns to note the fact of the total lunar eclipse of November 4, 1892, as recorded by the Nautical Almanac.
Tépgañ P'a. The name of the moon is indicated as in the first instance. No event is recorded. The two strokes may mark the date of the drawing.
Fig. 220—Ä`gâ´nti—Lunar eclipse.
Fig. 221—Tepgañ P'a.
Fig. 222—Gañhíña P'a—Annuity issue.
Gañhíña P'a. There is nothing to indicate the name of the month. The annuity issue of clothing, etc, about the beginning of the year 1892, is recorded as before by means of conventional representations of a boot and a blanket.
Ka`gúăt P'a Sän. The moon is distinguished as before, and the issue of wire for fencing, which occurs usually in early spring and soon after the annuity issue, is indicated as before by a reel of wire upon the tree.
Ka`gúăt P'a. The moon is distinguished in the regular way. In this month he removed from the winter camp near the agency to his home camp near the mountains; the tipi picture records the fact. In the same moon came a late frost which killed the springing vegetation; the cross notes the fact, being a pictorial representation of the gesture sign for "cut off," "stopped," or "ended."
Fig. 223—K'agúăt P'a Sän—Wire issue.
Fig. 224—Ka`gúăt P'a—Move camp.
Fig. 225—Áideñ P'a—Immigrants arrive.
Fig. 226—Pai Ä`gâ´nti—Íatäkía dies; Grass payment.
Aíden P'a (April, 1892). The moon is distinguished as before by the figure of a tree in full foliage. The picture of the wagons records the appearance of emigrants in the Cheyenne country, which was formally opened for settlement on April 19, 1892.
Pai Ä`gâ´nti. There is nothing to distinguish the moon. A Ute captive named Íatäkía, "Ute-man," died, and the fact is noted in the picture of a man with his hand pointing downward; in accordance with the tribal custom, Anko for a long time refused to pronounce the name of the dead man. In this moon also began a grass payment, indicated by means of circles for dollars.
Pai Tépgañ P'a. There is nothing to distinguish the moon. He notes the great measles epidemic of the spring of 1892 (see summer [1892]), and the finishing of the grass payment, by pictures respectively of a human figure with red blotches and of circles for dollars. Two strokes may indicate the date of the drawing.
Pai Gañhíña P'a (July, 1892). There is nothing to distinguish the month. The picture of a man and horse records the occurrence of the Fourth of July races.
Fig. 227—Pai Tépgañ P'a—Measles; Grass payment.
Fig. 228—Pai Gañhíña P'a—Fourth of July races.
Fig. 229—T'águñótal P'a Sän—Cheyenne dance.
T'águñótal P'a Sän. The moon is distinguished by the figure of a deer antler above the principal picture, which is intended to record the visit of a large party of Cheyenne and Arapaho in full dress, for dancing purposes; they arrived on July 29,1892, and remained about two weeks.