Indian Scout Talks: A Guide for Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls

by Charles A. Eastman

There are other ornaments and portions of a warrior’s dress that bear a special significance. If he has been in the vanguard of battle more than once and led counter-charges, he may wear the whole skin of a raven on his back in the dances. If he has pursued his enemy into the hostile camp and killed him there, he may wear an otter skin slit up the middle so that his head comes through, and the head of the animal hangs upon his chest. A garter made of skunk’s skin with the head and tail on, shows that he has successfully taken a scalp under the enemy’s fire. He wears a grizzly bear’s claws when he has been surrounded, but charged singly, bear-like, and repulsed the enemy. The paws of a grizzly bear, claws and all, denote that he has knocked off or pulled off the foe in a mounted encounter.

The deer-tail head-gear dyed in shades of red, with a thin square of bone, resembling ivory, in the center, to which one or more eagle feathers are attached, is equivalent to the eagle feather war-bonnet. The quill end of each feather is placed in the hollow of a goose’s wing-bone embossed with the beautiful iridescent neck-skin of a drake, and the whole forms an imposing ornament.

The wearing of the skins of certain animals and birds represents the totem, or, as it were, the coat-of-arms of the Indian. These symbols take a wide range, almost every familiar bird and animal, even fish and reptiles, being used as a sort of charm or talisman, some for healing, and others for protection from harm. But these things are not mere dead feathers or skins to the Indians; they symbolize an appeal to the brotherly spirit of the animal representing their individual lodge or clan, and are honored in recognition of the wonderful intuitive power of the dumb creatures. The Indian believes that instinct comes more directly from the “Great Mystery” than reason even; why else does an animal or child show wisdom without thought?

The addition of an ermine skin to the war-bonnet is an honor that few warriors earned in the old days. It is a degree of the highest type. The man who is recognized as a past master of courage, having achieved all the decorations of a patriot and a true warrior, dauntless in war, yet gentle at home, a friend and a brother—he alone may wear ermine upon his war-bonnet, or trim his ceremonial shirt with the beautiful white fur.

The addition of buffalo-hair trimming to a warrior’s bonnet or shirt or leggings is an indication that he has taken many scalps. If he is a chief, he may even have a buffalo tail dangle from one of his teepee poles. No one may do so without the authority of the tribe. Neither can the councilors confer these degrees without actual proof of service. No favoritism is possible under our system, and the highest degrees are conferred only upon men who have been tried again and again by every conceivable ordeal. Heroism is common, because the universal spirit of gallantry and chivalry requires it.

At a public dance, an Indian may recount some particular brave deed. This he acts out for the benefit of the younger element. He could not add anything to it, because the event is already well known. When the old customs were intact, it was the old warriors who claimed this privilege, and they, too, were allowed to paint their bodies in imitation of their severe wounds.

I remember very well in a great tribal dance that there were many of these old men who enacted their deeds with great spirit, and one had painted the upper half of his face black, with zig-zag lines representing lightning, the whole symbolic of a terrific battle. The lower part of his face, even with the mouth and including it was painted red, with streaks running down upon the chin. Every Indian would know that he had been wounded in the mouth. Another had painted in the middle of his broad chest a red hole, and from it there ran some red streaks, with a fine Crow arrow depicted in realistic fashion.

These customs have their barbarous side, but a really touching feature is that a warrior always shares his honors with his war-horse. Such a horse may wear an eagle plume in his forelock as proudly as his master, his tail or mane may be trimmed and dyed according to his rider’s war record, or he may be made to mourn for him by having it cut quite short.

Sometimes an acknowledged warrior decorates his long pipe-stem or the handle of his war-club. But no person can wear the honorable insignia of another; in fact, he can wear none that have not been awarded to him in due course by the council of his tribe.

The Boy Scouts may, if they choose, adapt this system to the honors counted in their organization, grading the various exploits in accordance with the real manhood needed to accomplish them.