Use of the Sword by American Indian Tribes

Jim McDougall · 9th September 2022, 06:45 PM

Having artifacts and items from remarkably distant and seemingly disconnected cultures and regions is far from uncommon, though typically unusual.
I recall a sword from an Indian tribe in Vancouver that belonged apparently to a 'turtle clan' (the accounts called them 'turtle people'), but was clearly a Sinhalese kastane, a sword from Sri Lanka.

It was unclear how this came into these regions, but if I recall correctly in the ledgers of a Hudsons Bay Co. official, in the inventory of goods traded, there were three 'dragon' swords. This might apply to the zoomorphic head on the pommels of these which were supposed to be lions but in the elaborate design could be taken for dragon heads.

Among American Indian tribes there are items which were apparently from trade that came from far to the south including Inca, Mayan and of course Aztec, and items from the east from 'Mound People' and other tribes. There were shells and items from tribes to the west as well.

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9th September 2022, 06:45 PM	#22
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,191	Having artifacts and items from remarkably distant and seemingly disconnected cultures and regions is far from uncommon, though typically unusual. I recall a sword from an Indian tribe in Vancouver that belonged apparently to a 'turtle clan' (the accounts called them 'turtle people'), but was clearly a Sinhalese kastane, a sword from Sri Lanka. It was unclear how this came into these regions, but if I recall correctly in the ledgers of a Hudsons Bay Co. official, in the inventory of goods traded, there were three 'dragon' swords. This might apply to the zoomorphic head on the pommels of these which were supposed to be lions but in the elaborate design could be taken for dragon heads. Among American Indian tribes there are items which were apparently from trade that came from far to the south including Inca, Mayan and of course Aztec, and items from the east from 'Mound People' and other tribes. There were shells and items from tribes to the west as well.