Native American Arrows

[Berkley]

It is available from USA amazon and silly cheap

Wow, were you ever right about the price, Tim Just ordered a used copy from the closest source (not even the lowest price) for less than a hamburger and fries! Thanks.
Berk

[Jim McDougall]

Excellent resource Tim! Thank you so much for posting the illustrations as well. It seems that the shape and material used in the heads does differ quite a lot between varying tribes, and that certainly would be key in identifying certain arrows. I can always remember watching old western movies where the grizzled old wagonmaster would pick up an arrow and pronounce, "yup, thats a Cheyenne arrow allright!". I was completely intrigued by how this guy could simply look at an arrow and know instantly what tribe it was from. Naturally, Hollywood elaborated and embellished these dramatics, but even in my wide eyed young naievete, I knew that there were many distinguishing differences between tribes in both dress and weaponry.
In recent visits to locations where many of these tribes are still situated, my interest has been greatly rekindled from the somewhat latent interest that has remained all these years. While studying the ethnographic weapons of so many other countries for so many years, I have suddenly realized the wealth of history here in my own backyard!

Hi Ronald! Its so great to have you post on this, and I know you will find something in that library of yours!!! It has always amazed me that there has always been a strong fascination in Europe, especially Germany, for our 'wild west' and I believe there is good literature on the topic there.
Looking forward to hearing more!!!

All the best,
Jim

[fearn]

One of my real favorites on the topic of archery is the Traditional Bowyer's Bible series, particularly the first volume. In the first volume is a great article on western Indian arrows.

Note that these books are really for people who want to make traditional bows and arrows, not collectors. They won't directly help you authenticate a piece. They will help you determine whether the arrow is authentic in the sense that it would fly straight, what use it was designed for (like the skipping arrows used for hunting waterfowl in the western US), etc. The first volume in particular focuses on native american bows and arrows, but subsequent volumes talk about archery on other continents.

Also, these should be available from Amazon.

My 0.02 cents,

F

[Jim McDougall]

Thats a great 2 cents Fearn! I know that bows and arrows are still being made following authentic traditions, so it makes perfect cents that good information would be found there.

I am curious if there was tribal or symbolic significance to the colored bands sometimes seen on the shaft, and it seems in one museum I once saw some arrows that had I think green bands. Unfortunately cannot recall where my scribbled notes went, but I think the tribal affiliation was noted.

Best regards,
Jim

[Tim Simmons]

As we have a world wide viewing I thought it might be helpful to add this. Ishi is mentioned in the section about Californian arrows so look at this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishi
Also I think the last official USA conflict with its native people was with Mashoni Mike in 1913. I might be wrong as i have had to sell lots of books in the past before a got a stable home.

Not Mashoni it is Shoshone I said it was sometime ago that I had the books.

[fearn]

Hi Jim,

You're quite welcome. So far as I know, the green bands have two uses, depending on which end of the arrow they are on.

If the bands are near the head, they can have two uses: to help the archer determine he has hit the optimal draw length (this is also sometimes done by putting a loop of thread around the arrow at that point so it can be felt, and (if the entire foreshaft is darkened) to camouflage the arrow somewhat (if hunting from a blind, for instance).

Marks on the end of the arrows are simply to identify whose arrow it is. If several people are hunting, this helps determine who killed something. In some groups, every hunter had his own colors.

F

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Fearn,
That is good information and the placement of a mark to indicate draw length seems logical, but the use of colored bands or markings to identify either tribe or individual is more what I'm trying to locate.

I found this referenced from "Plenty Coups: Chief of the Crows" (Frank Bird Linderman, 2002) ;
"...all arrowheads were marked...the men of the tribe knew each others arrows by the marks".

"...the marking of arrows was not only individual, but tribal. The Crows call the Cheyenne 'the striped feather arrows' because of the barred feathers of the wild turkey usedon thier arrow shafts. Even the sign name for the Cheyenne was conceived from these feathers. It is made by drawing the right index finger several times across the left, as though making marks on it. "

Also, supporting the concept of claiming fallen game, James H. Howard in "The Ponca Tribe" (1995) writes, "...it was a custom of the Ponca tribe for each gens to have its peculiar manner of marking arrows, so there should be no dispute in hunting as to the gens to which a fatal arrow belonged. This mark did not interfere with a mans private mark".

It seems that in hunting at least, a warriors arrow markings may have been of more than one symbol, color or feature with both a tribal significance and a personal one, and these may have been used concurrently. In varied reading it is noted that points for hunting were typically quite different than for warfare and were quite blunt. I believe one note suggested that arrows were painted red for war, and obviously considerable application of paint to everything from the warrior himself to his weapons and horse were marked and or painted. Clearly the now cliche' term 'war paint' was well placed.

The marking of arrows for the purpose of claiming credit or personal triumph in battle seems to have quite ancient origins as I recall reading in one archaeological source (I believe in early Middle Eastern topic) that the arrowheads of warriors were marked for such purpose. It does not seem however that Native American tribes ever used any type of marking for arrows for war, and the points themselves would be the primary means of identification. This was of course complicated by the common use of the iron points acquired in trade.

These references are good indications supporting the general practice of the marking of arrows, but it would be great to find specific examples and instances that can be assigned to particular tribes.

Tim,
Excellent reference to the fascinating case of Ishi, the last living member the Yahi tribe, found in 1911. Apparantly it was quite amazing to anthropologists that he could fashion obsidian arrowheads very quickly in the same manner probably done some 10,000 years before. His remains were buried with five arrows among other items, and it would be interesting to learn more from the studies on Ishis arrowheads done by Shackley. It is indicated that the method used by Ishi showed influence of Wintu and Nomalki tribes, enemies of the Yahi.

Best regards,
Jim