（ダコタ族など）平原部族の文化

In this page, I would like to present few cultural aspects associated with so-called Plains Indian tribes. The Plains tribes are, in general, characterized by the conical dwelling called ti-pi (shown above in the right), and mounted warrior with flaunting head piece (on the left).
However, those are only two of their expansive and all incluve culture.
Like other pages on the subject, I scrach only the surface of it.

馬について

馬はインディアンの長い歴史においてはごく最近入ってきたもの で、北米大陸にはいなかったのです。白人が連れて来たものを交易で入手、またその後離れ馬になって、野生に近くなっていたものを馴らしたりして飼うように なりました。馬が来る以前の牽引動物は犬でした。もちろん馬の方がずっと力持ちで便りになるので、インディアンは馬を大変有難く思い、「聖なる犬」と呼び ました。馬は貴重な財産で、お嫁さんを貰うときなど結納金にしたり、またメディシンマンに病気を治して貰ったお礼などになりました。

About Horse:

Horses once prospered widely in the Western Hemisphere disappeared completely at some time in the remote past, for the reason unknown to us. However, the oldest remain of this mighty animal is found in the Mississippi Valley, so explained by books.
Their second appearance were through the Spaniards who "discovered" this Continents. They took horses from their homeland to this part of the world for the means of their own transportation. Spaniards tried hard to prevent this animal fall into the hands of the Indians, but their efforts were futile, because some of them escaped, and became wild. Some of them were captured and tamed by the Indian people. There is a family of horses called "Mustang", or "Indian Horse" who are direct descendants of the Spanish horse.
For the Indian people, only draft animal was dog. Thereby, the implementation of horse into their perpetually mobile life style tremendously changed the whole foundation of it -- for instance, horse advanced their economy, enriched their culture by adding speed of trading and other inter-tribal interminglings. Horse became a status symbol, and source of personal wealth, as well as dowry through which proper marriage arrangement were made, and compensation for medicinal practioners.

頭飾りについて

このひとは、頭に飾りのような長い被りものをしています。これ は平原インディアンの男性に独自のもので、勇猛のほまれ高い族長が被ったものです。
私の翻訳した本我らみな同胞 の著者、ダコタ族の教育学者ロス博士によりますと、この羽根 は鷲の羽根で、その男性の勇気や寛容さ、自己犠牲の精神に対して贈られるもので、これ が２８枚たまるとこのような被りものしたそうです。

Head Dress:

This head dress is sometimes known as "War Bonnet", and its glamorous appearance is what made the Plains tribes so famous throughout the world. In fact, for most non-Indian people, an Indian male without this head dress is unimaginable, despite the fact that for tribes of other region this was not a part of their culture.
According to "Mitakuye Oyasin -- We Are All Related" by Dr. A. C. Ross, a Dakota educator, this piece is made by eagle feathers, and each feather is given to him from his family and fellow tribal members in appreciation to his generousity, bravery, and sacrifice he made for them. Dr. Ross says in the book, that when the feather thus accumulated to 28, his wife or sister made them to this beautiful head piece. They decorated that with many ornaments such as armine and intricate beadwords so his feats would be known among their people. Why 28? The number holds quite a significance in the Dakota Religion (as well as many other tribes).
 

クウの棒

この馬上の男性が右手にもっている杖のようなものはクウ棒とい い、戦場に持ってゆく戦士の道具です。で
はこれでなにをするのでしょうか？これは敵に触るためのものなのです。
なぜ触るのかというと、平原部族の間では、戦争に行って敵と闘っても、殺してしまうことはあまり名誉なことではなかった。ただ触るだけで、勇者はその勇気 を証明したことになるのです。
敵だって黙って触られていては恥で、抵抗しますからね。場合によっては逆に殺されるかも知れない。そこをただ触ることを目標に闘うというのは、なかなか悠 長でかつ優雅な戦闘といえるでしょう。
でも戦いとは相手を殺す、それが世界の常識なのに、これはいったいなにを意味するのでしょうね。私にはそれは、インディアンとは究極的な人権主義者、人命 尊重者の証拠のように思われるのです。

Coup Stick:

Have you noticed the man on horseback is holding a thing that looks like a cane? This is called "coup stick" which a warrior carried to the war front. It is usually decorated, like anything else, quite fabulously and used ceremoniously. As for the term "coup", it is a French word for a "brilliantly executed strategem", or "masterstroke". Then you would wonder why French word? Remember, the Great Plains area, traditional land of the Plains peoples was once owned (more accurately, so claimed) by the French Empire (on this please see "Sacajewea" section of this site).
According to "Dictionary of the American Indian" by John Stoutenburgh, Jr., there were four types of coups: Killing; scapling; touching a dead enemies, and stealing enemy horse.
However, many Indian people would question this assertion, especially the killing enemy to be the primary act of bravery in the battlefield.  I come to believe "touching living enemy with this coup stick" be the one, after few readings.
 

ティーピーについ て

右側にあるものは「ティー ピー」と呼ばれる、平原部族独特のテ ントです。ティーピーとはダコタ語で、「家」という意味です。
これは１２本の丈の高い木を上部で束ね、それを立てて円錐形に広げ、そのまわりをバッファローの皮で覆います。
中は中央に炉があって、その煙の逃げ口として上方に穴が明いています。その穴を作るために、別の２本の柱でてっぺんになる皮の、端のひらひらを支えます。
この絵でみると、上のほうの、洋服の襟のように見える部分がそれです。またバッファローの皮には、外側に美しい装飾がほどこされました。出入り口となるの は正面の丸い穴で、訪問者はこの穴の垂れ幕をひらひらさせ、中に入ってもよいかどうか、うかがいをたてます。ティーピーは女性の財産で、女性がなにかの理 由で離婚したいときは、この出口に旦那さんの持ち物を出しておけば、もうそれで離婚は成立したのです。
 
Tipi (or TeePee, etc.)

Tipi means "a house" in Dakota language. This is made of tall, straight trees called "lodge pole" that provide fram, and baffalo hides that make wall. The twelve lodge poles were bundled together and spread for stability as well as to provide space inside. In addition to the twelve, there are two additional poles from outside in order to hold the top flapping in place. This is for escaping smoke from inside fireplace, whereas the fireplace had a religious significan inside of the house.  The number of buffalo hides used were about eight to twice of the number depending on the size of the tipi and/or the number of family members who live there.
The exterior of the hide was beautifully decorated according to the skill and taste of the dweller.
It is said that the tipi size became larger at the introduction of the horse, since the animal's hauling capacity was considerably greater than that of dogs.
In this picture, you see a round thing in the center. This is an entrance. Visitor asked permission of the resident by flapping this a little, in respect to their privacy.
Upon marriage, according to "Oglala Women" by Marla N. Powers, the bride's grandmother is in charge of erecting a new tipi, which became her property. Upon her decision to divorce him, she would have placed all his belongings outside the tipi, to let him know about her wish. In opposite situation, he simply leaves the tipi after declaring his decision among his colleagues (to the members of the warrior society he belongs, or to the family members he came from, etc.).

平原部族とは

平原部族とは、いまの南北ダコタ州、カンサス、ネブラスカ、モ ンタナ、ワイオミング、コロラド、テキサス、オクラホマなど広大な平原地帯に住んでいた部族で、もともとバッファローを狩猟して暮らしていたひとびとで す。別名をバッファロー・インディアンともいいます。一番有名なのはダコタ族（スウ族）で、ほかにブラックフート、アラパホ、シャイアン、クロウ、カイオ ワ、ポウニー、コマンチ、カンサス州の名のもとになったカンサ、そしてロウラ・インガルス・ワイルダーの「大草原の小さな家」に出て来るオーセッジ族など という部族がいます。他にオマハ、ウイチタなどという部族もいます。なんだか聞いたことのあるような名前ではありませんか？そうです。アメリカの多くの町 が、その名を部族の名前からとっているのです。

Who are the Plains Tribes?

There lies the Great Plains of the North America, bordering the Arctic area in the north, to the Gulf of Mexico in the south, the Rockie Mountains to the west, and the River of Missouri in the east.
The so-called Palins Indians are, thus, those who lived in today's states of the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and their bordering areas. This includes the Dakotas, Arapahoes, Cheyennes, Omahas, Pawnees, Osages, Otos, Kiowas, Wichita, Commanches, among others, under which numerous braches of kinship based bands exist.
These people are also called "Baffalo Indians" because they depended their staple food source upon bafflo (more accurately, "American Bison"). They supplemented their diet, some by farming, and some by gathering/foraging.
Many states, counties, cities of America derived their names from the tribal names -- in which cities of Omaha, Nebraska, and Wichita, Kansas are only two examples.
Another thing we must keep in mind is that those tribal names are not necessary names of their own. For instance, the Cheyennes call themselves the "Tsistsistas", the "People". The word "Cheyenne" is a basterdized French means "dog eaters", thus quite derogatory.