Use of swords in American Indian tribes

[Jim McDougall]

I just noticed in the illustration of the Mohican (Mahican) chief posted by David, and holding an impressive ball head war club, he is also wearing a sword which appears to have a karabela type hilt.

This brought to mind the question, why would an American Indian chief be wearing a sword?

A little research noted that this particular chief , Etow oh Koom, while actually Mahican, was one of four chiefs who were taken to England to visit Queen Anne in 1710. This was effectively done by Jan Schuyler, a key figure in Dutch New York, as a diplomatic gesture in coordinating alliances versus the French.

Apparently the four chiefs (the others were all Mohawk), had their portraits painted by as many as three artists. This painting of Etow oh Koom was by Dutch artist Jan Verelst. The items held by these chiefs seem to have been provided by the artists or patrons, and included bow and arrows, a musket and other items including this sword.

It is unclear whether the Native American weapons were brought by the chiefs themselves or had been collected by the Dutch, however the European weapons were of course clearly 'props' (or perhaps diplomatic gifts).
The sword is classified by one reference as an English dress sword, but the style as noted is curiously with karabela hilt, not a form typical in English swords, but East European.

I recall some time ago in a photo of an American Indian chief, I believe Sioux and from around 1870, he was in his lodge, but on the wall behind him was of all things, a Japanese katana! This of course brought all kinds of wild ideas into play....it would have been odd enough to see a sword among Indian weapons.....but a katana?

I later found that he had been one of a group of chiefs who went to Washington DC in a diplomatic venture, and apparently he was gifted this katana which had been among items given by a Japanese embassy earlier. I cannot recall the details, but this was one case of a sword in Indian context.

It appears that swords were present in various cases, but they seem to be more symbolic of leadership or status, and not ever used as weapons.

It would be interesting to look into the presence of swords among American Indian tribes, as obviously they had considerable contact from the earliest European arrivals through the colonial and westward expansion times .