The greatest difficulty to be met in the writing of an Indian play is the extensive misinformation about Indians. Any real aboriginal of my acquaintance resembles his prototype in the public mind about as much as he does the high-nosed, wooden sign of a tobacco store, the fact being that, among the fifty-eight linguistic groups of American aboriginals, customs, traits, and beliefs differ as greatly as among Slavs and Sicilians. Their very speech appears not to be derived from any common stock. All that they really have of likeness is an average condition of primitiveness: they have traveled just so far toward an understanding of the world they live in, and no farther. It is this general limitation of knowledge which makes, in spite of the multiplication of tribal customs, a common attitude of mind which alone affords a basis of interpretation.
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"The Arrow-Maker" by Mary Hunter Austin. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915 edition. Excerpt: ...your tongue. (Turning his back on Padahoon he claps Pamaquash on the shoulder.) Come and dance! Choco (Gathering his blanket around him.) Even if the Chisera owned it, I would not believe it. (The men move in the direction of the merrymaking and are met by the younger people, laughing and shouting for Simwa. Padahoon watches them bitterly for a while, and, revolving many things, draws his blanket up and departs in the direction of the Chisera's hut.) Pamaquash Come, Arrow-Maker, a speech for your bridal. (Laughter and approval.) SlMWA (Drunk with popularity.) The war leader loves deeds rather than talking. Tavwots We have seen what your fighting is like. Give us a speech. Simwa Friends and tribesmen, the fortune of Simwa is Simwa. Does the Bear take weapons against the woodchuck, and shall the sons of the Bear make charms against their enemies? The spoil of Castac is in our camp (cheers) and our young men hunt within their borders. (Applause.) If any of the tribes inquire where are the fullest harvests, the fattest deer, the prettiest maidens (he flings his blanket about Bright Water), bid him look for the land of Simwa the ArrowMaker. (Shouts and laughter.) Young Men Come, now, a dance, a dance! Tavwots, dance for us! (The cries increasing, Tavwots is pushed forward to dance, others cry for PamaQuash and Yavi, who join Tavwots, laughing, to dance the blanket dance, all the others singing and keeping time with swaying bodies. The girls hover about the dancers, and as at certain points in the dance the Young Men attempt to cast their blankets about the heads of the girls, they duck and squeal. Finally, amid much laughter, each dancer captures a girl, rubbing his cheek against hers, the Indian equivalent of a kiss. With great merriment the crowd...
From preface to first edition; by the author: "The greatest difficulty to be met in the writing of an Indian play is the extensive misinformation about Indians. Any real aboriginal of my acquaintance resembles his prototype in the public mind about as much as he does the high-nosed, wooden sign of a tobacco store, the fact being that, among the fifty-eight linguistic groups of American aboriginals, customs, traits, and beliefs differ as greatly as among Slavs and Sicilians. Their very speech appears not to be derived from any common stock. All that they really have of likeness is an average condition of primitiveness: they have traveled just so far toward an understanding of the world they live in, and no farther. It is this general limitation of knowledge which makes, in spite of the multiplication of tribal customs, a common attitude of mind which alone affords a basis of interpretation.".
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