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Post by Huronwoman on Aug 10, 2006 23:51:37 GMT -6
I think I read a post asking about coup sticks. I don't know about the sticks but I understand that it was sometimes practiced that a warrior would ride into his enemies camp or party and touch as many as he could showing strength that is he if could touch them he could just as easily kill them. Am I close?
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Post by wardancer on Aug 13, 2006 20:13:25 GMT -6
In the old days , before the white man's influence , NDNs rarely killed another human being. Our people believe it is a far greater act of bravery to show the enemy we could have killed them , but chose to let them live. A coup stick could be anything , but we would generally add an eagle feather for every brave deed. Sometime they would sneak into the middle of their enemies camp and put a coup stick in the ground , just to make them wonder where it came from. To be the first to strike the enemy was the ultimate act of bravery ! The same goes for scalping....We never used to do that. The Spanish and French offered a bounty on NDNs and the way to prove it was to bring back their hair. We saw this as some sort of powerful medicine , so we began doing the same to them ! So , in spite of modern history , we did not start this tradition.
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Post by Huronwoman on Aug 15, 2006 16:15:16 GMT -6
Thank you Wardancer for confirming my beliefs, I also know the French in the North would take Huron and Iroquois scalps to show dominance over their tribes very early in their occupation of our lands, when more and more settlers came some of the traders would kill the settlers and make it look like an Indian raid and would take white scalps and blame it on the Indians. Same I am sure with the Spanish in the South.
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Post by twoknives on Aug 20, 2006 23:54:02 GMT -6
I was taught/told that a really brave warrior of any Nation or Tribe, went into battle with nothing but a coup stick. And as in wardancers rendition of the "Crazy Dogs", he would stake himself to a 20' leather thong and dare any of the opposing warriors to come within reach of his coup stick. The best part about battles between Indians was not to kill but to strike a weapons bearing enemy and live to tell about it. No self- respecting warrior would ever kill a defenseless human being. That was of course before the white man showed us dishonor in killing , just for the sake of killing. Many brave warriors were killed by the white soldiers before they learned as a whole to stop this very honorable way of warfare.
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Post by twoknives on Aug 21, 2006 0:26:08 GMT -6
My dear Huronwoman. As far as the taking of scalps was concerned. The French , Mexican, Spanish, and British governments payed money for Indian scalps. Taken from anybody with long black hair, even non-Indian women. The white man was the first to employ this barbaric custom. It wasn't taken up by the Indian until way later. White men scalps( not fellow Indian scalps or even white women's) ,adorned the teepee of a warrior.As medicine against the white soldier's medicine/wrath. And even then the warriors had it down to where they only took out the top of the hair, maybe the size of a silver dollar. Many a white man lived to tell of being scalped. Heh, heh! Hehyo!!!
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Post by Unega Uwohali Waya Adkins on Aug 21, 2006 21:35:05 GMT -6
Yeah, that's true story. North French people are bad. I'm very lucky, my French father's families from South Louisiana ( Native Cajun families), not from France to Canada and north U.S. There's 3 ways French people arrived on the north and east U.S, one Cajun families from France rode the boat passed Florida down to Gulf of the Mexico to Louisiana called "Acadian" (Cajun). Cajun people are pretty friendly and doing nothing with our NDN people but they're slaved Negro people and used them that other Europeans sold Negros to Cajun people. I don't live with Cajun people because they're having problems this present day..... I just live by Cherokee and Native American Heritages on the Country side.
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Post by twoknives on Aug 21, 2006 22:07:19 GMT -6
Arcadian French, you are correct. Cherokee and French. My brother White Eagle, thank you for explaining that and for putting it into real words. You seem to have chosen the True Path for you. My congratulations. Now, onward! To the stars! As we all should.
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Post by Unega Uwohali Waya Adkins on Aug 21, 2006 23:55:41 GMT -6
Thank you for let me know and you're VERY welcome for explaining that and for putting it into real words my brother. Oh, yeah the Stars are great!
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Post by Huronwoman on Aug 22, 2006 12:30:38 GMT -6
Thank you TwoKnives for putting my thoughts into words for all (even me) to understand, however the Acadian people were Huron mixed with French and originated in Acadia which in now know as Nova Scotia, a province in Canada. There is also a secret society know as the Madawaskans and were comprised of both French and Huron but ALL were assassins. The Cherokee and the Huron walked the same road in many ways and were brothers since the 1600's. Thank you my brothers! AHO
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Post by twoknives on Aug 25, 2006 2:23:08 GMT -6
My sister.
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Post by twoknives on Aug 25, 2006 2:26:41 GMT -6
without sparrow, where would the eagle be?
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Post by twoknives on Aug 25, 2006 2:30:04 GMT -6
alone
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Post by Huronwoman on Aug 26, 2006 10:06:59 GMT -6
Why do you think I am so Proud of the name given to me LOL ;D Thank you my Brother WADO
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Post by Annie Fawn on Sept 10, 2006 20:06:25 GMT -6
I have Cajun cousins in the Gulf and while they are a bit on the wild side at times, they are cool! Most are mixed with Choctaw or Creek blood.
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Post by bigelk on Nov 24, 2008 15:23:35 GMT -6
It would take more than bravery to Count Coup. Think about it on a personal level. Could you do it yourself? Would it be enough satisfaction? Could we as Americans be satisfied with Counting Coup on our enemies? Could we just leave a feather laying on Bin Laden's chest while he sleeps instead of taking his head? It sounds like a grand gesture but it would be seen by the vast majority of Americans as an opportunity lost to destroy what we hate. Counting Coup is far more than just brave. It's a completely different code of ethics. An integral part of walking the Red Road. It's a way of standing up and being counted in front of your maker. An expression of faith that the Great Spirit's wisdom is beyond your own.
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Post by 2shadows on Nov 25, 2008 13:50:14 GMT -6
I was just reading last night about counting coup..one leader..(perhaps Hollow Horn Bear) I'll check tonight.. said that (from memory now..)
"the white leaders drive their soldiers before them, they do not want to be there, so I will not count coup on them"
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Post by bearfoot on Nov 26, 2008 6:57:03 GMT -6
I did a Wikipedia search to figure out what this means. Coup is actually a French word. Counting coup is to strike or touch a blow to your enemy and then escape unharmed. It was an act of Indian bravery rewarded and recorded with notches to the coup stick, or also feathers in a headdress.
So what this Indian leader was saying is, "I will not waste my time by counting coup on the soldiers that go ahead of their leaders, but do not wish to be there as the enemy".
Very true in today's war. American military seems to serve our country out of pride, but many don't agree with the war, nor are they truly against our supposed "enemy". They are just following orders because it is their job.
Was this a recent discussion, or was it a quote from olden times?
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