Red Horse Owner, an Oglala Lakota, was the keeper of the Winter Count, a history of the most significant events of the year. This particular Winter Count dates from 1788 to the 1960s. Traditionally the Winter Count was always done by men until the 20th Century when the task was taken over by women. Usually a Lakota historian appointed his successor, usually a family member. These Winter Counts were drawn onto buffalo hides, but then buffalo disappeared they were recorded on fabric and later paper. Glyphs, an early form of writing, were used to record important events, but since the mid 20th Century the Winter Count is recorded in English. This Winter Count is on display at the Center For Western Studies, Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
That is wonderful! Mankind always seems to want to record events.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting...
ReplyDeleteAs RedPat notes, we do like to count things. And that has proven to be very good for us, far off on the future!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this before. Reminds me of the ancient Egyptian priests who kept count of stores and events.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating this is
ReplyDeleteI find this very interesting.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. It is impressive that they kept it going that long.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the story. I just wanted to note that the winter count on display at the Center for Western Studies is a reproduction based on a published account of Red Horse Owner's Winter Count, created for education purposes.
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