Symbols of North American Indians. Edgar Allan Poe

As the title suggests, this is a post about the indigenous peoples of North America - the facts, just the facts...

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2000 there were approximately 1.8 million purebred Indians living in the United States. The 2000 census made it possible for the first time in US history to indicate the “mixed” origin of a resident of the country. The result revealed that another 2.9 million Americans consider themselves Indians to a greater or lesser extent (that is, one or more of their immediate ancestors were Indians). The largest Indian tribes today are: Cherokee (about 302.5 thousand “pure-blooded” Native Americans), Navajo (276.7 thousand), Sioux (113 thousand) and Chippewa (almost 111 thousand). By comparison, the US population in 2000 was approximately 290 million.
The census also showed that the Indians are a “young” people (or rather, peoples). The average Indian is 29 years old, the average American is 35. 33% of Indians are under 18 years old. For comparison, in 2000, 26% of Americans were in this age group. At the same time, fewer Indians live to old age. 5.6% of red-skinned residents of the United States have crossed the 65-year-old mark; in the country as a whole, this figure is 12.4%.

Indian tribes are classified according to ethnic groups, and by language families. It is easy for an inexperienced person to get confused in such classifications, so the most striking and famous tribes of the Indian people will be shown...

Apache.
The southernmost Athapaskans. In the 15th and 16th centuries they moved from the north to the Southern Plains and the Southwest region.
The closest relatives of the Apaches are the Navajos.
Western Apaches, or Coyoteros, include the San Carlos, White Mountain, Seabeca, and Tonto Apaches.
their Chiricahua neighbors are divided into Chokonen, Nendi, Bedoncoe and Mimbreño (the latter two have common name Warm Springs or Mogollon).
The Mescalero and Jicarilla Apaches are closer in culture to the Indians of the steppes, and the Kiowa Apaches and Lipans were typical steppe nomads - buffalo hunters. The Chiricahuas resisted the longest American army, and ended the war, which lasted 25 years, in 1886, when all the Indians had already been settled on reservations.
Among the famous Apache leaders are Mangas Colorado, Cochise, Victorio, Yuh, Naiche, Jeron

South Aztec family.
Kiowa - Comanche Shoshone Utah Hopia etc.
Kiowa.
A small but warlike tribe of nomads from the southern Great Plains. The language belongs to the Tano group.
As an independent unit, the tribe included the Kiowa-Apaches, who spoke the Athabaskan language. Together with the Comanches, these tribes formed a powerful alliance of the southern steppes (Oklahoma, Texas), which fought with many surrounding Indians and Mexicans. In the 1870s there was strong resistance to the American army.
In total there were about 200 warriors in the tribe. The ten bravest of them made up the Kaitsenko society - a military elite that never retreats before the enemy.
The most prominent Kiowa leaders are Dohasan, Satank, Satanta, Lone Wolf, Kicking Bird, Big Tree. Atapaskan.

Iroquois.
Cayuga - Mohawk Oneida Onondaga Seneca Tuscarora Huron Erie Mohawk Cherokee et al.
The Cayuga are the people of the Gweugwehono (Guyokonyo), which are translated in different ways, but in general: “the people who live where the boats are pulled ashore” (or “the people of the great swamp”). Their title/"position" in the League is "men of the great pipe".
Mohawk - Kahniankahagen (Ganiengehaka), "people of flint." In the League - "keepers of the eastern door."
Oneida - Onayotekaono (Onayotaka), "people of the standing stone."
Onondaga - Onundagaono, "people of the hills." The "positions" in the League are "fire keepers" and "wampum keepers."
Seneca - Nundavaono (Onondawaga), "people of the great hills." In the League - "keepers of the western door."
Tuscarora - ska-ru-re "shirt-wearing people." The Tuscaroras joined the League in 1714. The Tuscaroras had no voting rights in the League.
The name "Iroquois" is a distorted reading of the French spelling of the word "hieroqua", about the origin of which there are two versions, one translates this word as Iroquois "smokers", according to the characteristic custom of these peoples, the other as the Algonquian "black snakes" converted by the French. The Iroquois themselves call themselves “Haudenosaunee” - “people of the long houses”, or “ongwehoveh” - “real, or first people”. Iroquois.
This word, derived from the Algonquian iroku - real vipers, the French began to call the union of five tribes,
who called themselves that - the five nations, and also the people of the longhouse.

The five tribes are the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk.
Later, the Tuscaroras were accepted into the Iroquois alliance, and the Iroquois became the Six Nations.
The Iroquois lived in long houses, structures made of wooden supports covered with bark, which reached a length of 30 - 40 or more meters and a width of 7 - 10 m.
Such a house was occupied by several families related through the female line.
In addition to hunting, agriculture occupied an important place in the economy of the Iroquois - they grew maize, pumpkin, beans, sunflowers, watermelons, and tobacco.
The village was surrounded by a palisade made of logs, which served as protection in case of enemy attack.
The people of the long house themselves were also very warlike and raided all the surrounding tribes - the Mohicans, Delawares, Algonquins, Montagnais, Miamis, Catawba, Hurons, Susquehanna, Erie, Ottawa, Illinois, etc.
As a result, the Iroquois subjugated a huge area, many times larger than their original territory, located south and east of Lake Ontario.
The power and influence of the League were enormous, and the European powers - England and France, and later the United States, who fought among themselves for North American lands, tried to use the Iroquois as military allies.
But, in the end, the League, weakened in endless wars, began to lose its power,
and the Iroquois tribes found themselves disunited and scattered across reservations in the United States and Canada.
Now the Iroquois are considered the best high-rise builders, and many famous American skyscrapers were built with their hands.

Muskogee.
Seminoles. Chickasaw Natchi Criqui et al.
Seminoles.
This tribe was formed in the late 18th century from part of the Creek tribe that moved to Florida.
where by then local population was practically exterminated.
The Seminoles put up desperate resistance to the white invaders, but as a result of three Seminole Wars (1817 - 1818, 1835 - 1842 and 1855 - 1858), less than 200 people remained out of 6 thousand Indians in Florida.
The rest were either destroyed or sent to Indian Territory.
How serious the Americans considered the Seminoles to be is indicated by the fact that during the Second Seminole War the number of federal troops was doubled.
Famous Seminole leaders include Micanope, Billy Bowlegs, Wild Cat, and Osceola.
The Seminoles now live in Oklahoma and three reservations in Florida.
Some of the Florida Seminoles speak a different language (Hitchiti) and are considered an independent Mikasukee tribe.

Sioux.
Assiniboine Dakota Winebago Mandan Crow Hidatsai etc.
Sioux.
Actually, the Sioux are seven Dakota tribes.
Tetons are the common name for seven related tribes of the Sioux:
Oglala, Brule, Hankpapa, Minnikonjou, Sansarki, Uchenopa and Blackfoot Sioux.
Throughout the 19th century, the Oglala had the following clans:
Fierce Faces - Itesicha (Bad Faces of the Red Cloud),
Minisha - Red Water, Oyukhpe - Pushed Aside, Hunkpatila, Shiyo - Sharp-tailed Partridge, Kiyuxa - Those who break their own laws, True Oglala, Okandanda, Old Necklace, Short Hair, Night Clouds, Uazhazhha, Heart of the Spirit.
Their closest relatives are the Assiniboine.
The Sioux-speaking Indians of Missouri (Mandan, Hidatsa, Crow) can be considered cousins.
tribes of the Dhegia (Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Kanza, Quapaw) and Chiwere (Oto, Missouri, Iowa, Winnebago) groups.
And very distant relatives - the now extinct Sioux-speaking tribes of the East and Southeast:
Catawba, Saponi, Tutelo, Eno, Okanichi, Ofo, Biloxi, etc.

On November 20, 1969, eighty Indians from the Indians of All Tribes seized Alcatraz Island, 12 acres of land in San Francisco Bay that formerly housed a federal prison. Hoping to draw attention to the dramatic situation American Indians, members of All Tribes declared that the island, under the terms of the old treaty with the Sioux, was abandoned federal land (Alcatraz was closed in 1963), and therefore should return to the Indians. “The fact that we are reclaiming Alcatraz prison is symbolic,” said John Trudell, one of the leaders of this action. “We Indians have always been prisoners in our own land.” own land" Intending to open an Indian Cultural Center on the island, the All Tribes Council offered to appease the angry federal authorities by purchasing the island from them for “glass beads and red cloth valued at $24.” After a year and a half, federal authorities managed to expel the Indians from Alcatraz, but they were unable to suppress the growing resistance among the eight hundred thousand Indian population.

Gojko Mitić (Serbian: Goјko Mitiћ) is a Yugoslav-Serbian film actor, director and stuntman, who became famous as a performer of Indian roles. In total he played in 15 films, where he played the roles of Chingachgook and others.
In 1960, he made his film debut as a stuntman in the English film Lancelot and the Queen, subsequently acting as an extra in a series of films about Winneta - adaptations of the literary works of Karl May. In 1966 he moved to East Berlin, filmed at the DEFA film studio in the roles of Indians. The same year the film "Sons" was released. Ursa Major", where Gojko Mitic played the main role of the Indian chief. The director of the film, Josef Mach, chose Mitic for the main role. The film was very successful among the younger generation.
In 1967, in the wake of the success of the previous film, “Chingachgook - the Big Snake” was released, where Mitich played the role of Chingachgook. The screenplay for the film was based on Fenimore Cooper's novel “St. John's Wort.” A year later, the film was purchased for distribution in the USSR, and Gojko Mitic gained great fame here, having success mainly among teenagers. One of these films, called “Tekumze”, was filmed in the USSR, in the Crimea, in the area of ​​Mount Demerdzhi. The other is “Ulzana” - in the Samarkand region.
Now, during the information boom, films about Indians with the participation of Gojko Mitic look somewhat dull, but Soviet time it was a revelation... And every little boy knew that “the Apaches are cool, but the Hurons are not so much..”. Like the GDR and the USSR, now all this is in the past...

The civilization of the Indians, their culture, had a significant influence on the culture of the “white people”. Mohawk hairstyle is one such influence....
The mohawk is a hairstyle popular in punk culture. Borrowed from Indian culture and named after one of the tribal groups. IN English language better known as mohawk (Mohawk is the self-name of one of the Iroquois tribes), in England also mohican (Mohican). In punk ideology, the mohawk is a symbol of freedom. Freedom from society, stereotypes, other people's opinions, freedom compared to others.
The Mohawk is mainly of three types: American (2 fingers wide), Siberian (4 fingers wide) and Gothic (wide: hair shaved only at the temples). The mohawk is also practiced without styling, that is, “lying down.”
In the world of punk rock, the mohawk gained popularity after Wattie and other members of Exploited began wearing it. In the early 80s, Mohawks were very popular. Just look at the concert recordings of old punk bands.

Few people know that in Russia there are groups of people who are fans of Indian civilization, the so-called. Indianists. Introduction to Indian culture occurs not only at the level of books, but also at the level of communication in nature, joint study of everyday life and folklore traditions Indians
Currently, about 200 Indianists live in St. Petersburg. New borders make it difficult to contact Indianists from neighboring countries, but, despite the obstacles, every summer they gather together near the village of Tolmachevo, Luga district, Leningrad region.

The Indianist chooses the Indian tribe that is most sympathetic and close to him. He especially diligently studies its history, mythology, customs, language, accepts its primary colors and symbolism. Among Indianists there are followers of the Ojibwe, Lakota, Cree, Pony and other tribes. But at a powwow there is no division into tribes; the choice of tribe is a personal matter.
The Indianists have nothing resembling a strict organization. The main issues of life are decided by the council of elders, but this is not an official body and its decisions are not forced. The elders are veterans of the Indianist movement who stood at its origins. But an elder is not an honorary position, elders are not elected, they are the wisest and most experienced. The elders decide where and when the powwow will take place.

How does a powwow take place in Russia?
The powwow lasts 1-2 weeks. They prepare for it all year, because it is a big holiday. They sew tipis (canvas cone-shaped dwellings of Indians), suits, moccasins, hats, and learn dances. There is no general regime or mandatory events in the camp, no one forces anyone to do anything. At the same time, there are generally accepted rules at a powwow, so that order is maintained and no one bothers each other.
Enipy.
This is what the Indians call the ritual of purification. Cleared of everything that interferes to modern man connect with the natural world. To do this, they collect stones and heat them. Then a tent covered with polyethylene is placed on top, in which the participants of the ritual sit in a circle. At the same time, many say some words or prayers, including Christian ones. An Indian pipe is passed between them, filled with a mixture of tobacco and various plants, for example, sage, willow bark, dogwood, and bison. The ritual pipe has world-building significance for the Indians.

In Russia there are not only fans of the Indian way of life, but there is also a real Indian tribe - the so-called. Itelmens. Itelmens are a small people. There are about 1,500 purebred Itelmens. Russian Indians are a vanishing ethnic group that we may completely lose without even getting to know them. However, if you fly nine hours by plane from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, then drive ten hours by car to the village of Esso, then travel an hour and a half by car by helicopter to the village of Ust-Khairyuzovo and after that, for about forty minutes, ride in a car along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk at low tide, and in winter, on snow crust, on snowmobiles or on dog sleds, you will end up in the national village of Kovran, on a visit to the real Indians of Russia - the Itelmens.

Scientists have proven that the Itelmens of Kamchatka have the closest family roots with the Tlingit Indians. The latter live in Alaska.
Both tribes have a common God - the raven Kutkh - the creator of the earth and all life on it. The Itelmen also have a lot in common with another famous Indian tribe, the Navajo.
The visits of our Itelmens to the USA and Canada confirmed their commonality with foreign tribes in tribal legends, totems, rituals and dances. The Russian Indians, with their fiery songs and fiery dances, were greeted as if they were our own, like relatives.

Sayings and aphorisms of the Indian people

When will it be cut down? last tree When the last river is poisoned, when the last bird is caught, only then will you understand that money cannot be eaten.

Even your silence can be part of prayer.

Don't walk behind me - I may not lead you. Don't go ahead of me - I may not follow you. Walk side by side and we will be one.

It doesn't take many words to tell the truth.

What is life? This is the light of a firefly in the night. This is the breath of the buffalo when winter comes. This is a shadow falling on the grass and melting at sunset.

Love the earth. It was not inherited by you from your parents, it was borrowed by you from your children.

In the first year of marriage, the newlyweds looked at each other and wondered if they could be happy. If not, they said goodbye and looked for new spouses. If they were forced to live together in disagreement, we would be as stupid as the white man.

You can't wake up a person who's pretending to be asleep.

The Great Spirit is imperfect. He has a light side and a dark side. Sometimes the dark side gives us more knowledge than the light side.

The white man is greedy. In his pocket he carries a canvas rag into which he blows his nose - as if he is afraid that he might blow his nose and miss something very valuable.

We don't want churches because they will teach us to argue about God.

When a person prays one day and then sins six, the Great Spirit is angry and the Evil Spirit laughs.

Why do you take by force what you cannot take by love?

The old days were wonderful. The old people sat in the sun at the threshold of their house and played with the children until the sun plunged them into slumber. The old people played with the children every day. And at some point they simply did not wake up.

When a legend dies and a dream disappears, there is no greatness left in the world.

What is a man without animals? If all animals are exterminated, man will die from great loneliness of spirit. Everything that happens to animals also happens to humans.

One “take” is better than two “I will give.”

Truth is what people believe.

Even a small mouse has the right to be angry.

And it was like this....
A long time ago, at the beginning of the existence of the human race, the Warraw lived in a beautiful country, high above the heavens. Apart from the Warraw, this paradise land was inhabited only by birds, which were hunted by the young men of the tribe. And one of them, named Okonote, was once chasing a bird. He shot from a bow, but the arrow flew past the target. And disappeared...
Okonote searched and searched for the arrow and came across a hole into which it fell. He looked there and saw our land below. A world replete with herds of wild boars, countless deer and other animals: undisturbed by anyone, they grazed and wandered through the green forests and expanses of savannas. The hole in the sky turned out to be wide enough, and Okonote decided to weave a ladder from cotton fibers to go down. Friends helped him, and soon the staircase was ready. But from the paradise bird kingdom of Warrau to the ground it turned out to be quite far, there was not enough stairs.

Then Okonote's friends extended the ladder and tied it tightly at the top. And so the brave Okonote began to go down it, although it was unsafe. The wind was shaking the ladder, and the young man could fall down every minute. But the brave are not afraid of any obstacles. Finally he stepped on the ground. And he was dumbfounded with amazement. There was so much here! What a rich and amazing life! How many unseen animals! Each has four legs! And how huge they are! Everything seemed a miracle to the young man. He saw large animals devouring their prey and said to himself: I will try to kill one of these large animals and then eat it. And he shot a young doe with a bow.

I made a fire, cooked the meat, and then... then I tasted it. Oh, how delicious! Having eaten, he returned home along the stairs. The ascent, of course, was even more difficult than the descent. Okonote took a piece of meat with him so that he could show off his booty at home. The taste of the meat and Okonote's vivid story inspired everyone. “We don’t want to stay here anymore! How much use are there from these tiny birds! Let's go there, down to the land teeming with animals, which was opened for us, for the Warraw tribe, Okonote. There's so much food there! Let's go! " And off they went. We went down the wicker stairs into this full of life world. They were all very young: none of the people then had time to grow old. The Warrawu and their babies were dragged through the hole in the sky. And finally they all found themselves on the ground safe and sound. All except one, the last one. Or rather, one, the last one, because it was a woman. Too thick, she couldn't fit through the hole in the sky and got stuck. Her husband, who was second to last to descend, wanted to drag her through, but his head was spinning, and he hurried to descend to solid ground. On the ground, the Warraw were excitedly discussing what had happened. The women grumbled loudly, interceding before the men on behalf of their friend: “Has it ever been seen before for a husband to leave his wife? Then let one of the other men rise to the top, preferably the valiant Okonote. After all, he had already climbed this ladder. Let him take one or two more courageous young men to help him and rescue this unfortunate woman.” But the men were afraid to climb up. And the Warraw leader decided this: “Even if you pull out the woman by force, you yourself will still die by crashing to the ground. After all, she will knock you down when she falls. And the Warrawa will lose their best men.” Soon the ladder broke off, and the fat woman remained at the top. And it will remain stuck in this hole forever and ever.
And we, Warrau, will never again see our lost bird home there in the heavens, because the fat woman tightly closed the hole in the sky with her body...
This is how the Warraw tribe came to earth. This explanation was quite enough for the tribe...

A red-skinned savage, decorated with eagle feathers, riding a hot mustang, has long become a symbol of the Wild West. Throughout our lives, the characters in the books of Fenimore Cooper, Myne Reed or Karl Maya remain an echo for us forgotten childhood when we were still able to hear the voice of nature. With age, people are again drawn to communicate with nature. Some go to live in the countryside, others seek harmony by creating horse clubs, new methods of communicating with horses are emerging: modern people are looking for what the Indians of the Great Plains discovered more than three hundred years ago.

From the 17th to the 20th centuries, methods of working with horses, their role in the culture and life of the Indians, changed. The heyday of their equestrian culture occurred from the beginning of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century - about a hundred years, although some tribes were familiar with the horse for approximately 300 years. By this time, the Indians had already completely adapted to the animal that was new to them and began an independent path of development; they had not yet been exposed to such strong influence white civilization, as in the second half of the 19th century. This is especially true of the tribes of the Northern Plains, on which the influence of the white man, at least as far as horses are concerned, was minimal.

When we talk about the horse culture of the Plains Indians, we are talking mainly about nomadic tribes who are more closely associated with the horse and have achieved great success in this area out of necessity. These primarily include the Comanches, Iowans, Eastern Apaches, Dakotas (mainly Tetin and Yankton), Coros, Blackfeet, Browns, and Arapahs. All of them, almost equally, were the “horse people”. It was for them that the horse played vital role, it was their culture that was most influenced by it and it was they who were able to develop an incredible relationship with the horse.

The first horses

The appearance of an unusual animal made a truly shocking impression on the Indians of Spanish America. After they realized that four-legged monsters were mortal creatures like all the others, the Mexican Indians touched them during battle, believing that they were performing and achieving feats, or killed them as enemies. In the 16th century, the Spanish conquerors brought to America not only the first horses, but also their riding school, as well as the practice of “breaking.” Over the next hundred years, the Indians who then lived on the territory of the Southern Plains acquired horses and horse equipment from the Spaniards or from intermediaries - the Pueblos, and at the same time drew from them knowledge about methods of working with horses. The Indians adopted European attitudes and methods of work because they knew no other. But just as the turbulent events in Europe of the 1st-6th centuries created the preconditions for the formation of a certain stereotype of behavior and treatment of horses, Indian methods grew out of a very specific worldview that originated in the mists of time.

Indian worldview

By the beginning of the development of America, the vast majority of tribes were in a state of balance with the environment. The rules for them were that inter-tribal wars, although at times quite cruel, were not of a global nature, they were only clashes - a completely familiar element of tribal life. However, under the influence of Europeans, who forced the Indians out of their lands and stimulated inter-tribal conflicts, the Indians had their own Great Migration, but, unlike the European one, it did not last long, and the resettled tribes quickly returned to balance with the outside world.

The Indian way of life was supported by a certain kind of philosophy, which proclaimed not struggle and victory over nature, but merging with it, establishing harmonious relationships with both the inner world and the outer world. The Indians were aware of the mobility and eternal variability of nature. Man was considered inseparable from his environment simply because he himself was its creation. He eats, breathes, sleeps, reproduces, communicates, etc. only in accordance with the laws of nature, the violation of which leads to misfortunes, disorders and diseases. The Indians viewed man as a part of the whole world, an important part, but not superior to all the rest. For an Indian, the whole world, including stones, trees, rivers, clouds, etc., is alive and has a soul equal to that of a human.

Based on this postulate, in the Indian worldview there was no difference in the concepts of “man” and “animal”. The Indians used words like "bear people", "deer people" or "horse people". Most animals are born with life principle“trust everything except what there is reason not to trust.” Horses are very trusting, they are more trusting than dogs. The Indian knew that it was easy to lose a horse's trust; all you had to do was let your emotions get the better of you and hit the horse on the head, and it would never allow a man to touch its head again. Or trust may be lost if the horse strains a tendon after going down a steep hill. Either way, the trust between horse and rider was broken by the rider. Every action reflected the Indian's complete trust in the surrounding Nature, and deception was regarded as something incredible.

Harmony is the basic concept of Indian philosophy. By communicating with a horse, a person tries to restore the feeling of Harmony. Balance is one of the qualities of Harmony. In Indian ideas about the world, everything is balanced. Just as it is important for a horse to have correct balance and be able to maintain it, it is important for the rider to be able to maintain balance and control his body. Balance is a body position where the presence of the rider on the horse’s back is almost not felt. That is, a person must merge with the horse into a single whole, feel it as his own own body, and at the same time, so that the horse feels the same. The Indians understood that with the right balance, man and horse feel calm and relaxed. Neither strength nor tenacity will help you stay on the horse and in life if there is no balance. Therefore, the Indians learned to ride bareback. A saddle is a necessary and useful thing, but, like any tool, you need to use it correctly. On the one hand, a well-fitted saddle protects the horse's back from the rider's weight. On the other hand, it prevents the flow of many signals from the rider to the horse, and vice versa. The balance that a person learns while sitting in the saddle is not balance itself, but the desire to achieve balance.

All beliefs, all ideas of the Indians necessarily acquired material form, either in the form of products, songs and dances, or in the form of real deeds, in particular, communication with horses. They believed that only a horse could indicate to a person the loss of Harmony. The Indians believed that love and friendship between man and horse were possible; This is the most natural relationship, like between brothers or relatives.

According to Apache mythology, Creation lasted four days. On the first day the elements were created and celestial bodies, on the second day - reptiles and insects, on the third - four-legged animals, including horses, and man appeared the very last. The conclusion from this is the following: just as the brain is the last to be formed, it is responsible for the life of the entire organism and spiritual growth personality, so a person who has this gift must protect nature and help its development. But still, he is the youngest and the weakest, so often, due to his powerlessness, he becomes aggressive. Shamans who knew people and horses believed that the reason for the rudeness of some people and their use of whips and “iron” was that the person was inharmonious, he was weak and afraid of his own weakness, and was angry at his own powerlessness to explain something to the horse. Such a person, before approaching a horse, needs to restore his harmony with the world.

Indian shamans understood that man is the most dependent of all living beings, both physically and psychologically. His brain is a perfect instrument, but, unfortunately, a person does not know how to use it and often becomes a slave from childhood to the ideas and complexes embedded in him. That is why, according to mythology, the Great Spirit asked all other animals, as elder brothers, to help man live in this world. Some of them sacrifice themselves for the sake of human prosperity or learning. And therefore he must remember that he is not the master of the world, that he is born last and lives only thanks to the help and compassion of other living beings.

The Indians believed that both man and horse valued patience and respect. Respect is one of the main Indian virtues, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. The white man usually meant that the concept of “respect” had some element of fear (“fear means respect”), but the Indians put a slightly different meaning into it. In the Indian understanding, respect is, first of all, accepting the nature of another being, be it a person or an animal, and not projecting one’s own illusions onto it. As soon as a person places someone beneath him, he loses respect and is responded to either with resistance or submission, but never with cooperation.

They treated their horses with sincere respect. Fighting and hunting ponies - comrades in arms - were surrounded with special respect (but not reverence or ingratiation). Their wounds received in battle were revered on a par with the military merits of the warriors themselves, and the ponies, tired after a difficult buffalo hunt, rested for several days on the prairie. When sitting astride a war or hunting horse, the Indian usually understood what he needed it for: for training or hunting. They tried not to sit on them or ride them for pleasure. Riding and pack horses lived in more difficult conditions: they transported people and goods on long distances and worked a lot, but it was necessary for survival, so the Indians also tried to treat them with care. The people of the Plains knew that the horse was a fragile creature. For this reason, by increasing the number of their herds, they sought to evenly distribute the work among a large number of horses, and the animals could sufficiently rest, walk, graze and socialize in the herd. However, the Indians loved racing, but even here smart owners protected their horses from unnecessary stress. This also included respect for the horse.

Respect is directly related to gratitude. The elders of the tribes taught that gratitude should shine through in every action of a person, in his every word, in every thought, only then can he comprehend the true essence of things. The right combination of respect, assertiveness, confidence and trust is the foundation of a relationship.

Understanding the laws of nature is impossible without developing observation skills. Observation was vital to the Indians. Thanks to the incredibly developed powers of observation and the ability of the Indians to make poetic comparisons, the horse occupied an important place in tribal culture not only as a friend and helper, but also as a mythological and psychological symbol. In Indian myths and legends, horses are described as magnificent animals with beautiful long manes that flutter in the wind and tails that lightly touch the ground.

The basis of life for a horse is movement. A wild horse travels up to thirty kilometers a day, and only in motion does it remain healthy and strong. In the same way, movement is the basis of life of the Universe and man, that is, without spiritual advancement, a person is actually dead. The Indians largely shared the views of the Taoist sages.

Horses love freedom. Probably the Indians would agree with Krishnamutri's statement: “It does not happen that discipline comes first and then freedom; freedom is the very beginning, not the end.” Being freedom-loving people themselves, they understood that the horse is one of the most freedom-loving creatures on earth. As the ancients said, if an angel is kept locked up, he will turn into a demon. The physiology and psyche of a horse is designed in such a way that restriction of freedom destroys it more than hard work.

Paradoxically, despite the fact that a horse is an extremely freedom-loving creature, it needs a herd. Moreover, horses are conflict-loving and peaceful at the same time. There are no oppositions in Indian philosophy - qualities and properties do not oppose each other, but complement each other. In the same way, herdism and individualism complement each other. When communicating with a horse, you must be either soft, like a woman, or adamant, like a warrior, at the right time. All that remains is to correctly determine the onset of this time.

Each person builds his own relationship with a horse: as you learn to handle it, so it will be. Or you can also say: “Life is what you imagine it to be,” which is also true for a horse. If you are sure that life is bad, you will only see the bad. If you believe your horse is stupid and aggressive, that's the kind of horse you will get. The Indians are convinced that a person is reflected in a horse, as in water, and that the true essence of a person is visible in handling a horse, as in a mirror. No matter how a person tries to appear among his friends and relatives, the way he treats a horse will show his true inner nature. Evil, cowardly, cruel or stupid person(in particular, someone who does not see the horse’s pain or does not try to understand it) cannot be trusted: at a critical moment you cannot rely on him.

Horses are kind, smart, curious and sociable, they are easy to train and are ready to be friends with people. Only he himself spoils relations with both horses and Nature. When interacting with a horse, you need to follow its nature; not to fight it, but to guide it. A person must watch horses, like the world, and study it in order to improve. Benny Smith, one of the few representatives of the dynasty of “spellcasters” who have survived to this day, a Cherokee Indian, said: “They are all different, very different. Each has its own character. You have to be able to get into the nature of the horse.”

Order and request

It seems that it was the "principle of respect" that caused the main confrontation between whites and Indians. White settlers called the Indians' ability to communicate with their semi-wild horses "Indian stuff." In reality, the secret lay in the worldview. While the Europeans used fear of punishment and avoidance of pain, the Indians practiced positive reinforcement. A deep gulf separated the worldview of Indians and Europeans.

By the time a new relationship with the horse began to form, the Indians had already figured out that there were two ways of communication: “order” and “request.” They learned the first from the Spaniards, and the second was suggested to them by Nature itself!

An order implies unambiguous execution of an instruction, often immediate. As a rule, it should be presented in a clear and fairly harsh form (pain from the iron, blows with a whip, spurs, roughness, etc.), which emphasizes that failure to comply with the order will be punished.

The main problem is that there are only two options: either punishment or reward. Moreover, the reward is not necessarily what the animal really needs, but only what the rider wants to give it. For example, a stupid pat on the neck. By the way, Indian riders never patted their ponies, rightly believing that since horses do not praise each other in this way, then a person should not do this. But they widely used stroking and scratching, imitating the behavior of horses in a herd. The second type of “reward” is the absence of punishment. In fact, the animal is given an ultimatum: either it carries out the order or it will suffer. For example, in order to force a horse to move forward, it is kicked in the sides (this is called “leg giving”). If the horse moves, the reward is that its life continues without punishment. If the horse doesn't move, it is kicked harder. So the only reason the horse moves at all is to avoid being kicked! If there is no punishment, then subsequent orders will not be executed. Thus, punishment, in principle, only tells what not to do (in this case, stand or slow down), but does not communicate what to do. Moreover, it sets the student against the personality of the teacher, constrains him psychologically, dulls him and is the main obstacle to learning.

Punishment can take both physical and mental forms, for example, a ban on communication: a disobedient horse is put in a stall to “get smart.” However, the horse's psychology is designed in such a way that it does not understand punishment. A hit or bite from another horse is perceived as a demand to leave its territory, and not as an inducement to any other action or to stop it. At the same time, the horse knows perfectly well that another horse will not eat it or try to kill it. Drive away - yes, but submission occurs in a completely different way. What is forgiven to a horse will never be forgiven to a person, because his actions will always be interpreted as the actions of a predator. Mental punishments, as a rule, are also associated not with behavior, but with circumstances: the horse tries to either avoid unpleasant situation, or adapt to it. Of course, she can be taught to perceive punishment as a guide to a certain action, but, firstly, this process is difficult, since it goes through withdrawal natural behavior, and secondly, it is quite ineffective, because the horse simply reflexively moves away from the pain or suffers some kind of impact. But this does not in any way affect the understanding of the action or, more importantly, the desire to cooperate. An order does not inherently imply cooperation! It does not require thought or initiative; on the contrary, any initiative is punishable. Obedience to an order is a formal execution of the instruction, and when the stimulus disappears, the action ceases. The execution of one order entails the next order. This path requires the constant presence of firm controls, a sense of the presence of the rider and his control over all the actions of the horse.

The order does not create good relations with a horse, he does not create any relationship at all! And a person must always be prepared for the fact that as soon as the subordinate horse suspects that he is not able to reinforce his order, as soon as he weakens or loses attention, he will try to free himself, take the revenge of the leader or take revenge for the grievances caused.

In raising horses, the Indians adhered to the same principles as in raising children: the Indians never punished their children unless they endangered the life of the group. They believed that punishing a defenseless child, especially from a person who is an authority figure, could break the spirit of a future adult. But a person with a broken spirit does not have harmony: he becomes either pampered and weak, or aggressive and evil, he does not know how to use his mind, the whole world for him is full of enemies and dangers, and not teachers and helpers. Such a person hates his parents, does not appreciate the gifts of nature, does not understand lessons, does not respect enemies and fellow tribesmen - he is lost to the tribe, he is lonely, which means he fights the world and uses it, and does not live in it. The Indians saw a friend in a horse; it was believed that its spirit was capable of merging with the spirit of a warrior, so true masters never punished their horses. In addition, spontaneity, games, shared entertainment, and playful learning were encouraged. Only through great patience did they achieve amazing results.

The Indians, who knew nature very well and loved to enjoy the contemplation of the surrounding world and communication, completely trusted their horses; they provided them with great freedom, preferring to turn to them with a request rather than with an order. Experienced riders knew that horses have excellent memories, they think very quickly and, in some ways, are even more intelligent than some people.

A request is an offer to do something or stop doing something, and the details of its implementation often depend on the wishes of the performer. The request is entirely based on the relationship and understanding with the horse. But you need to ask a horse for something and explain something to it, understanding its needs and motivation for action. The horse doesn't understand human language to the same extent as a person, so there is no need to demand absolute understanding of speech from her. But she remembers individual words well. In general, a horse can know about two hundred words and concepts (commands, designations of objects, etc.), but they must be used correctly.

The form of the request depends on the person's status in relation to the horse. For example, the request can be humiliating, friendly, assertive, etc., depending on whether the person perceives himself as inferior, equal, or superior to the horse. So, if a horse treats a person compassionately, it may respond to a humiliated request, but then in no case should anything be demanded of it. If a person has a friendly relationship with a horse, then it will cooperate as with an equal or more senior comrade, but at the same time, a humiliated request will be perceived as unworthy behavior, and a demand as rudeness. If the horse perceives the person as a mentor or teacher, then offering equal communication or losing trust will lead to uneven behavior on the part of the horse.

Often a person declares his status subconsciously, which manifests itself in body movements, posture, intonation, etc. that are not consciously recognized by the mind. And the horse reads these signals perfectly, much better than a person understands what he is doing. Exactly the same situation can be seen in raising children: there are no disobedient children, they always follow the instructions given to them with utmost precision. It’s just that parents themselves often don’t understand what they are forcing their children to do. The Indian shamans knew this; it is enough to note that they were practically unfamiliar with the conflict between “fathers and sons.” Metaphorically, they did not “raise” children, but “grew” them, as one grows a plant, following its nature and given parameters, not trying to turn corn into pumpkin, but only improving the properties of corn. The Indians also knew that the mind plays a very minor role in our behavior, but it is still necessary for the development of personality, so they called on the warriors to strengthen their will, try to control their emotions and their actions, because, as the old Navajo people said: “Through the soul The Dark Wind can blow on any person, but only the strong in spirit can withstand its breath and remain human.”

Despite the fact that formally the request is not obligatory, in reality it is difficult to refuse to fulfill some types of requests. A correctly formulated request is more effective than an order.

Psychology of Leadership

The Lakota word itanchan translates as “leader” or “war chief,” but has nothing to do with the concept of “commander.” These differences are much more fundamental than they seem at first glance. In the language of modern psychology, this kind of “leader” is usually called a leader, while the “commander” or “boss” is essentially an administrator. A “commander” or “chief” is appointed and acts according to instructions. In relation to a horse, it looks like this: the owner buys a horse for himself, believes that it MUST fulfill his wishes, based only on the fact that it is his horse, he bought it. Since there is a statement that the horse is obligated to do something, but does not do it, the owner, in accordance with his authority, considers himself entitled to apply punishment. From the horse's point of view, he is not going to entrust his life to an unknown person because he has not proven his right to be a leader. In the understanding of the Indians, just like horses, “commander” is a completely meaningless position: no one has the right to control the actions of another without proving his ability to be a leader.

That is why itanchan is not even a position, but a state. A person becomes a leader only because of his personal qualities, having earned authority and respect from his fellow tribesmen. By the way, the Indians have long considered army officers to be leaders and treated them accordingly; it never even occurred to them that a soldier could entrust his life into the hands of a stranger and act not of his own free will. Itanchan had to be able to act in such a way that a person from his squad would not notice his leadership. The same applied to working with horses.

Any observant person will quickly notice that a horse cannot live without a herd. Even when communicating with a person one-on-one, she will still try to build a herd relationship with him. There is always a leader in the herd - a leader, and all other members of the herd follow his instructions. The herd knows that the leader understands and protects its interests best of all. The Kiowa Indians said: “You become like a member of the herd... and you earn the trust of the horse.” Therefore, the rider had to become the leader (leader or itanchan) of a small herd of two members, then the horse would obey him only because it was confident that he knew and protected its interests better than itself. A leader should be not so much demanding as caring, generous and fair. Horses have a keen sense of justice, so any injustice causes their indignation, and therefore resistance. If a person breaks trust or does not act like a leader, he will quickly and quietly be replaced by another member of the herd - a horse. In fact, the success a person achieves in his relationship with a horse is proportional to his ability to be a leader.

There is a saying: “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.” This is wrong. When the herd approaches a watering place, the leader always approaches the water first. He checks for danger and takes a few sips. Only then will the rest of the herd drink, because the leader steps aside to watch for possible danger. And only after the herd has finished drinking and the leader feels that everything is calm, he returns to the water and satisfies his thirst. That is, the leader leads his herd to the water precisely to drink! He does not force the herd to drink, but by intelligently combining the need for water, ensuring safety and his desire, he achieves the desired result. The horses from his herd are sure that they follow only their own desires. The authority of the leader of the herd, in this case, is based on the fact that the rest of the horses trust his opinion, realizing that the next chance to get drunk may not come soon. Based on this principle, the Indians, particularly the Crows, taught their ponies to drink on command or to let the owner know that the water was undrinkable.

White ethnographers and travelers noted that sometimes the Indians behaved just like children. The point is that serious attitude to work forms the basis of European culture, so whites WORKED with horses, demanded from them, the conviction was firmly in their minds that a horse should obey a person, even if this harms it. But Shakespeare also said: “The face of a fool is the mask of a wise man.” Many Indian shamans were cheerful people, and the rest of their fellow tribesmen, if they were not on the warpath, also loved to have fun. Following this principle, the Indians COMMUNICATE with horses, as well as with their relatives or with the wind, animals, stones, streams, clouds... The horses were simply INTERESTING with their rider. Only with such people did they play and devote all their strength and skill to joint actions.

The emergence of new methods

At the beginning of the 18th century, plateau tribes learned horse riding in the following way: one person led the horse by the reins, and the other, sitting astride the horse and holding a long pole in each hand, leaned on them while moving. These Indians said that they were afraid of falling off their horses. Such practices did not exist on the Plains, and soon the Rocky Mountain tribes realized that such balance and similar training methods were a thing of the past.

Just as in England they said that a lady's education should begin with her grandmother, Indian grandparents taught their grandchildren how to handle horses from infancy. The child learned their habits, how they moved, and learned not to be afraid. From a very early age, the baby not only interacted with foals and adult horses, but also learned to maintain balance, control the horse and give it clear commands. Of course, at first they used calm and obedient horses for this. The child was placed on horseback and his legs were tied with a rope, passing it under the horse's belly so that he would not fall. An adult man led the horse at a walk. When the child got used to it, the pony was allowed to trot. After some time, the child, still attached to the horse, was able to control it independently. This was possible because the Indians trained horses to obey the slightest command and, in general, did not use their legs: they used body tilt, voice commands, light hand clapping, scratching, etc. Every young man sought to prove that he was born to be with the horse, and unity with the horse is his integral feature.

Since no one taught them how to work with horses, the peoples of the Plains and Rocky Mountains who entered the historical arena began to invent own principles work.

A significant role in the development of new methods was played by the fact that the Plains soon began to settle in with wild horses - mustangs. With animals raised in freedom, the methods of catching and “breaking off” that were familiar to Europeans were not justified. Time passed, the number of horses grew, and along with them the number of riding masters increased. Using their natural powers of observation, the Indians very quickly realized that “breaking off” only subdues the horse, and then only for a while while the “iron” is in its mouth, but this does not establish harmonious relationships and that close cooperation, working with with full dedication, which were required for hunting buffalo or in battle. And the approach to horses began to change radically.

The psychological imbalance that arose as a result of the methods of working with unfamiliar animals and the ancient Indian worldview adopted from Europeans gradually disappeared, and balance was restored. The practice of "softening" horses quickly spread throughout the Plains and surrounding areas. First of all, this affected fighting and hunting ponies, contact and trust with which were extremely important. A similar tendency took place from the very beginning, but it was not easy to overcome the inertia of the introduced Spanish school. Those of the Indians who did not know the European school of riding or had little knowledge of it turned to the ancient tribal path of Harmony with Nature.

Spellcasters

The constant desire of the American government to impose “civilization” among Indian tribes, that is, to resettle them in barren territories, depriving them of language, culture and means of subsistence, forced many peoples to take the warpath. In wartime, the role of leaders, warriors and shamans greatly increased. However, this was not always the case, and for a hundred years (from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries) Indian equestrian culture developed almost unhindered.

With the advent of a large number of horses, people began to appear in the tribes, specializing in one or another aspect of horse life. First of all, among the shamans there were “horse healers” who treated sick horses with the help of magic and herbs, as well as “surgeons” who reduced dislocations, treated snake bites and wounds with the help of surgery and knowledge of a certain number of herbs that had an antiseptic or other effect. Another type of “specialist” was horse breeders - owners of herds. Their herds were not necessarily large, but were highly valued among other tribes. Their appearance became possible only when the Indians accumulated enough knowledge and herds for such activities.

However, the raising and training of horses represented the most mysterious area throughout the history of the conquest of the continent.

Relationships with a horse, like relationships between people, are a complex and ambiguous issue. The spellcasters saw their task as helping their fellow tribesmen find a common language with the horse, but at the core of their own methods knowledge of reflexes, artistry, spontaneity and creativity lay, and for an inexperienced rider such treatment could cost his life. Therefore, the majority of “clients” were trained using other, simpler and safer methods. The most common and simple advice was universally accepted: be consistent and fair with your horse. However, another piece of advice was much more complicated, it was only suitable for masters who master the Horse Power: you need to be different with a horse (it understands a person better than himself), and the more varied your behavior, the more subtle the horse will react. But an ordinary person who does not have the gift of “spell horses” could only achieve inappropriate behavior horse and get seriously injured, so the “spellcasters” kept this instruction secret. At the same time, regardless of who resorted to their services, they invariably repeated: “A horse is a part and reflection of that vast world that is given to us by the Great Spirit. Learn from her, observe, look at the world with wide eyes, remain silent and listen with bated breath.”

While a shaman, who had the Power to heal other animals or even people, could often cure a horse, handling horses required special skill. Usually, the owner of a riding horse could teach it the simplest gaits, turns, simple tricks, etc., but serious training of a hunting or fighting pony required a special mutual understanding with this animal, similar to the work not so much of a trainer as of a high-level psychologist. Many knew that most problems, if they are not related to the horse’s health, relate to the riders, and more work needs to be done not with the horse, but with its owner. In general, the Indian worldview contains a lot of modern communication psychology, Taoism, Sufism, Zen, even Confucianism. For example, the statement that a mature person makes demands on himself, while an immature person makes demands on others. Therefore, the master, as a rule, undertook to teach the horse and its owner, simultaneously educating both and understanding that only close and constant contact can provide that necessary connection that will turn the rider and the horse into one being. The horse learned to listen to the man, and the man learned everything else.

Adult warriors did not devote much time to their ponies, with the exception of dedicated “spellcasters” who saw the meaning of their lives in horses and stayed with them until old age. An ordinary warrior or hunter spent most of his time obtaining food, and spent his free time in tribal or individual ceremonies, preparing weapons, repairing ammunition, etc.

Many tribes did not have a special name for educators and horse trainers. Some called them “horse whisperers” or “spellcasters.” Some were “horsemen” or “shamans”... There were probably other names, but they are unknown. For example, the Cherokee Indians called such people “Gee-nah-le-a,” a word that can be translated as “one who is a friend.” There were very few high-level spellcasters; at times they stood out noticeably among ordinary people who simply knew how to communicate with horses. But their strength and work were valued and were in demand by many members of the tribe. Some of them owned herds. Spellcasters, like shamans, were among the most respected members of the tribe of all the nomadic peoples of the Plains.

The “spellcasters” did not create schools or places to train horsemen. Likewise, there was no training in horsemanship in the sense that was common in Europe: “correct” seating, generally accepted commands, maximizing the presence of the rider on the horse. Of course, some outstanding people had students, but the skill was passed on from person to person not as a technique, but as a set of principles and the ability to listen to a horse. In fact, a certain, more or less specific set rules and methods that do not have strict consistency; a master's method of work, but not a training system. The absence of rigid schemes made it possible to find a common language with any horse without breaking its character or going against nature, but, on the contrary, using its understanding for your own purposes. The number of possible options for training a horse was large. Often it depended both on the ability of the horse itself and on the tasks set by the person. Some only sought mutual understanding with the horse, almost idolized it, some prepared the pony for hunting or ceremonies, some wanted to amaze others with tricks, some noticed that some “exercises” help in the treatment of horse diseases, etc. .P. The master taught different horses in different ways, guided only by his knowledge, basic principles of communication and his instincts.

Riding a horse in early childhood, the Indian followed his instincts and also practiced constantly. He watched his peers and elders, tried it himself and rode in his own style, best suited for him and his ponies. He could pass on the secrets of his art young man his grandfather, father, senior comrade. A young man could go to a “charmer” who “knew the horse,” but he had to learn to listen and think on his own.

Principles of communication and horse psychology

The Indians were not inclined to theorize about humanity; the only thing that interested them was the effectiveness of communication with a horse! The pony was not a toy for a warrior, but a first assistant, and often the survival of both directly depended on the ability to effectively interact with each other. The Indians lived in harsh conditions, and, for the most part, were still impulsive people, to put it mildly. In cases of extreme necessity or in a state of great excitement, the Indian could whip a horse or treat it rather roughly, although in most tribes such behavior was usually condemned. The leader of the Wolves from the Hidatsa tribe claimed that he whipped his horse only if his enemies were chasing him, and after that he asked for her forgiveness for a long time. This feeling was extremely sincere, it could reach the point of self-torture. There were stories about horses that were never touched by their owner's whip. The relationship between them was kind and trusting. It was practice that told the Indians that the surest and most reliable way to treat a horse was cooperation. If horse and rider did not think and act as one "team", they would both face injury or death.

In 1875, A. Mecham published the book “Wigwam and the Warpath” in Boston, in which, in particular, he noted: “The Indians teach their horses with kindness, and are very gentle with them.” Indeed, the elders of the Indian tribes taught that when someone does something good, they should be rewarded. And the horse is no exception. Moreover, the horse is ready to work simply for praise, because the most important thing for him is relationships. There was one problem in European culture - if a person or horse performs their duties well, it is believed that it is not necessary to praise them. As a result, smart, talented and conscientious people lose all interest in work and “suddenly” become problematic. The Indians believed that one should not be stingy with praise, especially when teaching, one should praise for the slightest concession, even an almost imperceptible step forward. One lesson in kindness can replace a year of training for a horse.

The Crow, Blackfeet, Comanche and many other tribes were crazy about horses. They knew very well that the horse only reacts to good relations, which is why such a famous person as Chief Buffalo Child Longspear advised treating horses as follows: “A wild horse from a ranch or open country will not at first respond to quiet kindness. At first you need to look at her sternly, but not maliciously, and then, when the time comes to get to know a person more closely, kindness is the most quick way gain her trust." This was not an individual technique, but a method widely used among the Blackfoot tribe and many others. For example, before approaching a new horse, Cherokee horse whisperer Benny Smith rubbed his body and extended his hand forward to sniff it. “Unlike many people who say that you have to look straight into the horse’s eyes, I never do that. I just keep her in my field of vision and she looks at me.”

The old people said: “The art of horsemanship is thought, intention, patience and understanding tied together. It requires perception and sensitivity. The main thing is relationships. This is the center of everything." The Indians usually did not skimp in the process of training for affection, and the horses tried their best to achieve praise. The Indians knew that a horse, like a child, could easily be spoiled by turning their praise into extortion. Encouragement must be timely. That is, not while the horse is thinking or doing, and not after, but precisely at the moment when it has achieved the desired result. This often lasts for seconds, and the person must be extremely careful not to miss this time. It takes significantly longer to train a human than it does to train a horse. However, the Indians knew about the need for gradual and unhurried learning, and were in no hurry.

The Indians had another significant secret, which was that a horse is a horse! This seemingly banal statement is of great importance, because it follows a simple, but very important rule: the main thing is not the object, but the ability to use it, that is, to interact. By strictly observing this rule, the Indians could quickly establish effective relationships with their ponies. Prairie children intuitively understood the meaning of many things. Looking at the horse, the masters, even without studying anatomy and biomechanics (in the sense that is customary in the “civilized world”), had a good idea of ​​how the horse moves, what it can and cannot do. Being sincere and open to the world themselves, they felt that the horse responded to kindness and showed respect only to those who deserved it. In other words, the horse acts only within the limits of its natural character. That's why she's a horse.

As observant people and capable of drawing correct conclusions, the Indians paid attention to a simple thing: horses are herd animals and herbivores, and humans are more like a predator. Moreover, the Plains Indians ate mainly bison and deer meat, and some tribes and groups associated themselves with wolves, foxes or dogs. Consequently, for horses, people are hunters, that is, predators. They look like predators, move like predators, make sounds and even smell like predators. That is, a horse cannot trust a person simply because he is a predator. And even if he is sincere in his desire to be friends with the horse, one wrong step (yelling, rudeness, hitting, trying to grab) - and it will be extremely difficult to gain trust again. This means that you cannot rely on such a partner in battle or hunting: it can cost your life.

Good riders knew that even the slightest pain could undermine trust, so most Indians preferred a light clap of the hand to confirm a command if the horse remained in doubt about whether it had understood the rider correctly and whether it was worth fulfilling his request. The clap was done with the fingers so that only the wrist was involved in the work, but never the forearm. Otherwise, in order to communicate with a horse, a person must speak its language, but in no case behave like a predator with it - the horse will either try to escape, or will fight, or will withdraw into itself.

Herd horses understood body language well, and harsh measures were rarely applied to them, but there were especially aggressive stallions that demanded a showdown with the person. In this case, the Indian could arrange a duel, proving that the person occupied more high position than a horse. The Indians did not know how to punch and, as a rule, did not fight without weapons and the desire to destroy or intimidate the enemy. Therefore, any blow was perceived by them as an attempt on life. They also did not really recognize the effectiveness of lashes (unless they needed to escape from enemies), preferring to tactically outwit the horse. A lasso was often used for this. The horses understood this.

As already noted, the basis of relationships for an Indian is respect. Respect for the horse as a member of the family. If this is the case, then the only thing a person needs is to communicate to the horse that he wants to do something in a way that he understands. To do this, the Indians learned to listen to their horses. “It’s true what they say, ‘you have to listen to your horse,’ and how he reacts will tell you everything you need to know.” If there is no mutual understanding, then we have two opposing creatures, one of which submits until it gets a chance to gain freedom. It’s very easy to check: remove all the “controls” and try to communicate with the horse as equals for a long enough time so that he understands that there will be no more pain. If the relationship between horse and rider is good, they can do anything!

The hunting horses of the Comanche, Iowa, Apache, Visit, Osage, Caddo and many other tribes were able to pursue game for a long time, like a dog, staying almost close to it or at shooting distance. Joshua Butler, who had lived for many years among the Comanches, Iowas, and Caddos, knew that a well-trained hunting horse would pursue game as well as a dog. One day, while riding such a pony from the Iowa camp, he saw a mountain wolf. To give a command, you just had to turn the horse’s head towards the target, let go of the reins and lightly slap the horse on the croup: the pony tirelessly pursued the “game”, clearly keeping within gunshot distance.

In addition to chasing game, a fighting or hunting pony could perform many different performances necessary during a battle, ambush or escape. For example, a warrior could jump off his horse in the middle of the prairie, fight the enemy, and then jump back onto his horse, which all this time was patiently waiting nearby. They taught it this way: the warrior stopped his horse and jumped to the ground, holding in his hands a hair lasso, draped around the pony’s neck. If the horse gave a step, the Indian began to gently but rhythmically tug on the rope. If the horse froze, the twitching stopped immediately; if not, the twitching became more intense. Of course, such training took place after contact with the horse was established, and it gladly ran to the owner’s call, rather than trying to run away at the first opportunity.

Another trick was that, being on the plain, where there were often no hills or trees from which to survey the surroundings, the Indian would stand with his feet on the back of the horse. In this case it was also necessary that the horse not move. Some Indians, wanting to surprise their fellow tribesmen, even knew how to jump while standing in full height on the back of your pony. However, in this case, nothing was required from the horse other than an even gait.

Some tribes, such as the Piegans, Crows, Comanches, Apaches and others, taught their horses to drink on command by making clicking sounds with their tongues. The fact is that in the desert territory of the West there are often so-called “water holes” - small natural reservoirs of rainwater or puddles remaining after springs dry up. The water in such tanks may contain harmful substances or bacteria. If the horse refused to drink and shook its head, then the owner knew that the water was undrinkable. The Comanches taught horses to show danger with their ears. When a predator appeared in the vicinity, the horse alternately moved its ears. If a person approached, the horse turned its head in his direction and moved its ears back and forth several times. This saved many lives. A Blackfeet Indian named Three Calfs recalled that some Crows would cause their horses to roll on the ground by slapping their hands on their thighs. At a signal from their owners, the horses hid in shelters and ran to the call, and an experienced rider could force the horse to lie down and remain in this position as long as he wanted.

Boys, like adults, often swam with horses; many tribes shielded themselves from the current with their horses’ bodies, hugging the horse’s neck with one hand and rowing with the other, helping it swim.

But let's return to the principles of relationships. The Indians were convinced that good horsemanship could be achieved through contact, respect and understanding, which was more reliable than dominance, fear and intimidation. The Umatilla Indians said that a person should focus on making the horse feel calm and confident next to him, that “you need to work with the horse’s nature, and not against it” - this helps to raise the horse to be smart and obedient. And the old Kayuk people, who were involved in breeding and training horses, argued that horses understood everything “almost like people.”

Without knowing it, the Indians made a brilliant discovery: they realized that the laws of mental development are the same for everyone, the only exception being the anatomical and specific features of the horse, but if they are taken into account, then the horse’s psyche will be identical to the human psyche! Modern psychology claims that out of 100% of emotional stimuli received by a person, 60% should be emotionally neutral (explanation, training), 5% emotionally negative ( negative emotions, as an explanation of what not to do and as an incentive for development) and 35% are emotionally positive (praise, encouragement, etc.). That is, of all the information communicated, about a third should be accompanied by positive emotions! And if, for example, you scolded your subordinate once, then you need to praise him seven times! Only then will his spoiled mood not affect his work for the worse. But it’s difficult to find a reason for seven praises, so it’s better not to scold at all: negative emotions he will get it without your help. The meaning of positive emotions is simply enormous. If a person wants himself, his relative, friend or even a pony to be healthy, active and live long, he must make him happy. Recognizing the horse as a living being, equal to themselves, and respecting its nature, the Indians preferred to reinforce the necessary elements with praise. Only in this case, their ponies carried out all commands with complete dedication, following the principle: for a partner to work actively and well, he must receive appropriate positive emotions. The most important thing in this regard is INTEREST, and there are not many reasons for its manifestation: creativity and love.

Interest - most important aspect in developing skills and intelligence. Cicero also said that the speaker must solve three tasks: to teach the listener, to lead and to give pleasure. And the teacher is the same speaker, and it doesn’t matter who he is trying for: for a person or for a horse.

Interest can only be voluntary. That is, work for a horse should become an adventure and creativity. Thus, the training of Indian horse trainers was not too long: if they did not know, then they felt the need to frequently change tasks so that the horse did not get bored and tired. Captivated by interest, the horse completely devotes himself to training, and the joy of the result obtained stimulates him to further activity.

The Indians have firmly learned that if you teach a horse to receive joy from activities or joint actions, then feeding will not be necessary (although at first they sometimes stimulate interest). Therefore, sometimes the hunting ponies were difficult to keep in place. Seeing the owner from afar, they ran headlong towards him, simply experiencing the joy of recognition.

Most sages taught that man has an important gift - reason, and he must use it like an eagle with its wings. Reason is a means not to break with nature, but to understand it. They would probably understand the Eastern joke: “Man is very smart creature. He just rarely thinks.” The fact is that the statement is true for both humans and horses - any direct actions give the exact opposite result. In other words, there is no need to stubbornly and stupidly insist on your own, breaking through the wall of stubbornness and misunderstanding. On the other hand, the trainer’s task is never to deceive the horse; on the contrary, one must be extremely honest with it. The Indians quickly realized that for training it is best for the horse to clearly understand what is wanted from it, and the lesson learned is one that the horse can perform every time it is asked. Using his gift correctly, a good rider always knew HOW to explain his desire to a horse: how to ask the horse to come, stop, turn, accept, run at any gait, rein, lie down, etc. To do this, you just need to correctly and effectively convey your desire to the horse. Here are the words of Chief Many Feats, one of the most famous leaders of the Crow Indians: “My horse must not fight me or run from me, because if he is to carry me in battle, he must know my heart, and I must know his or we will never become brothers. I was told that the white man is almost a god, and yet he is a great fool because he thinks that a horse has no soul. It is not true. I have seen the soul of my pony in his eyes many times.”

Communication with a horse can be carried out in three ways - words (commands, intonation), body (pressure, signals, touches) and body movements (direction of gaze, creating a pose, facial expressions). Often, especially in the initial stages of training, all three methods are used for contact, but later, with increasing skill and mutual understanding, you can move on to one, and its manifestations can be almost invisible to a person and incomprehensible to a horse. At the same time, when communicating with a horse, you need to be inventive and do everything so that it feels comfortable. The horse must understand why it needs it! That is, communication begins only when the actions of a person are understandable to the horse. The kayak masters said: “Don’t demand immediate results from your horse. When you want something from a horse, ask yourself: Does it make sense for him?” And Cherokee Benny Smith argued that “the horse itself lets the man know what he should do.”

The young rider was taught to give clear signals first. The strength of the signal depended on the urgency of execution. The Indians knew how to count and had a good grasp of proportions, so the signal of the first degree (“breath of wind”) was different from the signal of the tenth (“grizzly paw”). This is what the old Iowans and Comanches said: “In the art of horsemanship, when you want something from a horse, you need to start with the easiest thing. The easiest thing is your thought. Use it. A true horseman is not a warrior, but a magician, and this path affects every part of his life...” This also applies to voice and visual commands. At the same time, the signals to varying degrees, served by an experienced rider, differ significantly less from each other than those of a beginner.

The Indians preferred to use mainly body language - touches and postures. Voice commands were given somewhat less frequently, but everything depended on the person and the situation. For example, if a command had to be executed immediately, the vocal signal was given frequently (for example, you need to immediately take off, turn around, or stop before a cliff). If immediate execution was not required (for example, a smooth stop), then it was enough to tilt the body back a little, and after taking a few steps, the pony would stop.

Although the Indians often spoke to horses and gave vocal commands, they avoided doing this constantly and monotonously, because after a while the horse could begin to perceive speech as habitual noise, and the effectiveness of the interaction would decrease. All commands were given clearly and clearly, without merging with one another. Essentially, for a horse, human movements are a more accurate and valuable source of information than voice. The Indians knew about this and tried not to overuse vocal methods of communication. On the other hand, a familiar voice command prepares the horse in advance for subsequent actions or strengthens them, and this should not be neglected. There is one reliable fact: horses perceive the sounds of some languages ​​better than others.

Physical communication with the horse is the most important and effective. Especially when riding bareback. While sitting on horseback, a person often does not notice how he sends many signals to the horse, not only about the direction and nature of the movement, but also about his condition, mood, confidence, etc. There are plenty of these signals, they have a large number of nuances, and the horse responds to them instantly. Therefore, she always knows how the rider feels and what condition he is in. The slightest change in body position or force of touch will give her all necessary information for further action, even if the rider is unaware of it. The Indians understood this.

Visual contact was also important. Unless, for example, a hunting pony was given instructions to pursue game, it was guided by where its rider directed its gaze. Both humans and horses are capable of focusing their vision on an object, this is most evident in tense or dangerous situations. Therefore, one of the methods was to train the horse to move where the person directs his gaze. But it’s not just about focusing and directing your gaze, but also about focusing your attention, that is, concentrating your thoughts. So, if a person, like a horse, moves on unfamiliar ground, he concentrates his attention on where and how to place his foot, as if mentally probing the place. In the same way, while sitting on horseback, a person can concentrate his attention on movement or on an object that needs to be approached, sending imperceptible signals to the horse, and it will be his “legs.” For example, to show a horse to move forward, the rider leans slightly, changing the balance of his pony. Willy-nilly, he was forced to take a step forward. For which he was invariably praised. After a few lessons, at the slightest bend forward, the pony began to move as if it were his own desire.

From the very beginning of training, the warrior taught the horse to pay attention to himself in approximately this way: he sat on horseback, waited until the horse relaxed, and then began to mentally indicate to the horse some action. After a few seconds, the pony was already moving its ears in his direction, trying to take a step forward and dancing on the spot, as if saying that it had caught the rider’s concentration and only needed physical reinforcement to understand the subsequent actions. The pony usually only hesitated at the very beginning until the rider learned to concentrate properly. This is a very important moment, during which, especially during the training period, you should not be distracted from the horse - it is intently waiting for the signal. And if the rider does not give it, he may lose contact with the horse. When the horse is focused on the rider, the time between the rider's direction and the horse's response is significantly reduced. And if the concentration of attention coincided with the inner desire of the person, that is, the harmony was not broken, the horse perceived the instructions very clearly.

The horse was taught to concentrate and prepare for the next command through various exercises. Here it was necessary to give the horse a signal exactly at the moment when it expects it, and not to bore it with constant instructions if this is not required. At the same time, do not forget to alternate exercises or teach the horse something new. IN otherwise the person soon began to be perceived not as a friend, but as an annoying nuisance - a useless and annoying burden.

However, the Indians learned everything quickly. They had no other way than to explain to the horse what they wanted: when you gallop in the midst of a herd of thousands of bison, there is no time to think about commands, movements or verbal signals. In such a situation, the horse navigates better than man, he just needs to clearly express his desire to her. Hunters relied entirely on their horses' ability to understand them and make independent decisions. The horse's intelligence was one of the most important qualities, along with speed, agility and endurance. The horse knew what was best.

The Indians were able (another secret) to feel a state of unity with a horse, that is, when a person is both himself and the horse at the same time. This state allows direct communication with the horse through intuition and mental interpenetration. Here are the words of one of the old Iowans: “The art of riding lies in making you like a horse... The only way to understand each other is to find a common melody. Make the horse include you in its life as a joyful event, and not as an annoying nuisance. Never blame a horse for anything. She doesn't do the wrong thing."

A similar state was observed when Indians or their children listened to myths. They seemed to merge with the character. Part of the technique used by Cherokee spellcasters was called “seeing,” in which a person was supposed to feel the “heartbeat of the world.” “Seeing” was inextricably linked with observation. Here's what Benny Smith said about the technique of understanding a horse: “Very often understanding (he used the word inspiration) came by itself, as if imperceptibly. You don’t seem to be doing anything special, but suddenly one day, and it’s already in your head.” And further: “You just imagine how the horse does something, it’s similar to how athletes tune up before a trick,” while he knew very well what the horse could do at the moment and what it couldn’t. He took into account all mental and physical components: arousal, sensitivity, activity, etc. He argued that "real contact begins only when I am present in the horse." That is, a horse cannot contact a person if his thoughts are somewhere far away, not with her, but he can break contact if you ask too much of him.

Basic principles of communication with horses

Only some of the basic principles of communication with horses of the Cayuse tribe have survived to this day. When training a person, they were supposed to become his integral part like breathing. To do this, there was no need to change yourself, but simply follow the Indian path of Harmony. From these principles several rules can be formulated:

• Never get distracted from your horse!
• Remember, when you are around, you are always teaching the horse something!
• In order to train a horse, you need to move!
• It is easier to ride the horse in the direction it wants to go.
• The horse itself should lead you to everything!
• Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult to do.
• If something is not interesting for the horse, don't do it.
• The horse and rider should enjoy the joint action. This is more important for the horse.
• The horse moves away from the pressure. Pressure can be physical, verbal or emotional. Use your finger to move the mountain. But you need to start with a breath.
• A man must learn more than a horse. Learn from the horse.
• Learn to be consistent and demanding.
• The rider should be soft but not yielding, firm but not harsh.
• A learned response is one that happens every time.
• The horse doesn't have to decide whether to go or not, but you don't have to stop him. Make the horse want to stay with you.
• It's better to take a step back, but don't fight the problem.
• The horse should be calm when the lesson ends.
• Finish with what the horse has learned.
• There is always tomorrow. If there is no tomorrow, then you don’t have to teach the horse anything.

Time is probably one of the most important factors when communicating with a horse, but for a horse time passes differently than for a person. The horse is in no hurry, it has no deadlines, it does not strive for anything other than satisfying its needs and enjoying life. She has few needs: health, safety and communication. Health - grass, movement and Fresh air. Safety is the ability to feel comfortable in any situation, especially around a person. And communication with your own kind is the basis mental health and successful contact with a person. The latter should always be fun. All this does not require haste.

The ability to work together requires open and trusting communication between horse and rider. This can be achieved easily, but by no means quickly. Time spent with a horse means much more than daily training. Spending time next to a horse, a person learns to see and understand how it is capricious, expresses satisfaction, boredom, frustration, everything that he himself knows about his friends or loved ones. And the horse learns the same thing. In the old days, even if an Indian just passed by his pony, he would stroke it or watch it, and this would help strengthen the relationship between them. Friendship and mutual understanding only intensified from this, and for a horse there is nothing more important.

Bridle

A few words should be said about the bridle. The most popular among the tribes of the Plains was the single-rein or military bridle. It was used more often as a safety device, a kind of “stop tap”, only to turn his head to the side at a critical moment if the horse bolted and thereby stop or reduce the speed so that the rider could jump off or try to restore contact. It has no other function! True, a military bridle was sometimes used in horse theft, when it was necessary to quickly and easily remove a completely unfamiliar horse from under the owner’s nose. But failures were also possible here, so a rope halter or neck noose was often used for this purpose.

In addition to single-rein bridles, quite widely, especially in the second half of the 19th century, and in Southern Plains Previously, two-rein bridles, throws, side pulls, rope halters, etc. were used. All these devices can be called “bridles” only because the horse’s nose, like the mouth, is extremely sensitive to pain, and all communication between man and horse is carried out through the reins, which connect the horse’s head and the rider’s hands.

In the understanding of the Indians, the bridle is not a means of control. This is a learning tool that should never be abused. For most Indians, the reason was, first of all, auxiliary, which was not used very often. When teaching how to use a bridle, Indian instructors great attention They ensured that the student should never touch the reins unless absolutely necessary. The Cayuses said: “You need to hold the reins as if it were a sparrow’s egg.” Usually the Indian rode with the reins loose. Therefore, the practice known in Westerns as non-craning (control by placing loose reins around the horse's neck) was widespread throughout the West. The reason should only leave no room for the horse to doubt where to turn if the mutual understanding with the rider is not yet well established. The spellcasters did not sit on horseback until they had established full contact with the horse, and the requirements for controlling war ponies were similar, but if the horse played the role of a vehicle, then it was allowed to force the training somewhat. However, in any case, the bridle should in no way become an instrument of punishment or violence. This did not meet the safety requirements - in the understanding of the horse.

The Indians were not aware of the harm caused by bridles, but they probably realized that any painful control, especially in the head area, was harmful to the horse and interaction with it. True masters preferred to rely on their relationship with the pony and ride with only a lasso around the neck or without any mechanical controls at all. In addition, most Indians claimed that eleven horses out of a dozen could be safely ridden without using a bridle. But even with that one horse, the problem is more likely to be a lack of trust and respect for the rider than the pony itself.

Many whites admired the ability of the redskins to control their horses without a bridle, often even at full gallop in the heat of battle or hunting. In 1805, Larocque wrote that most Crow horses could go anywhere without a bridle: “You just have to lean slightly in one direction or another, and they will immediately turn in the direction you are leaning, and will circle around until you again You won’t take a vertical position.” This is true both for ordinary riding horses and for hunting and fighting ponies. However, for the last two, the command acted only until the rider gave the command to pursue the target or any other. From that moment on, the horse understood that control of the situation was passing to it, and acted according to different rules.

Cherokee horse whisperer Benny Smith said that he did many things without any equipment at all to control the horse, using only “his spirit.” This, in his opinion, is what most people lack to establish relationships with the outside world.

From the American Indian Heritage Book: “First of all, horses gave us the opportunity to dream. The plains are a mysterious place, here the winds come to the earth directly from the heavens, here everything becomes mystical. The Plains had always been a place for dreams, but with horses they became even more so. Something happens to a man when he gets a horse in a country where he can ride wherever he pleases; Here it’s very easy to get the impression that you’re living in a fairy tale.”

The material was prepared based on the book by Alexey Berkov “Horses in the culture and life of the Indians of the Great Plains.”

According to meteorologists, this summer promises to be hot again. To end the pleasant summer evenings at home, FURFUR asked the creator of the short story blog Smart Fiction and a member of the e-book service Bookmate team to select five works for the summer. In turn, the editors selected fifteen stories that were previously published on the site - you can go to the stories by clicking the “Watch slideshow” button at the beginning and end of the material.

Lev Tolstoy
"Destroying Hell and Rebuilding It"

This story changed my opinion about Tolstoy. I knew he had problems with the church, but after reading it, it became clear why. In the comments to this story on Smartfiction, a friend accuses me of being a hypocrite and advises me to read Ayn Rand.

Quote:“Some said about others: your miracles are not real - ours are real, and they said about these: no, yours are not real, ours are real.”

Arthur Conan Doyle
"Loving heart"

One day I was flying on a plane and reading a magazine in which I came across this story. I was not in the mood then, but he turned everything upside down in my head. After that, my friend and I made Smartfiction. I described this story more cheerfully in my column on Look At Me - let it become a bonus, sixth story that you should read.

Quote:“I’m afraid our air is not very useful to you, sir,” I ventured to remark.

15 stories in FURFUR magazine

ABOUT PROFESSIONALS

Mark Twain. "How I Edited an Agricultural Newspaper"

“Apparently, we should expect a late grain harvest this year. Therefore, it is better for farmers to start planting corn cobs and sowing buckwheat pancakes in July, not in August."

The famous American writer was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, died on April 21, 1910 at the age of 74. Known primarily as the author of works about the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, he was also involved in journalism and published a lot of journalistic works.

ABOUT MEN'S HAIRSTYLES

Woody Allen. "Schmid's Memoirs"

“Hitler was furious. Was Churchill going to grow sideburns, he wanted to know, and if so, how many and when? Himmler, who everyone believed was in charge of intelligence, was immediately called. Goering, irritated by Speer’s position, whispered in his ear: “Why are you making waves, huh? He wants sideburns, so let him have them.”

American film director, actor-comedian, producer, three-time Oscar winner. He is also known as a writer and the author of numerous stories and plays.

ABOUT PERCEPTION

O.Henry. "Squaring the Circle"

“When we begin to move in a straight line and go around sharp corners, our nature undergoes a change. Thus, Nature, more flexible than Art, adapts to its more rigid canons. The result is often quite a curious phenomenon, such as a blue rose, wood alcohol, Missouri voting Republican, breaded cauliflower and a New Yorker.”

American writer, born in 1862 and died in 1910. He is known primarily as the author of a mass of satirical stories with unusual endings. Most of his works are considered American classics short story. There is also a literary prize named after him.

ABOUT HARD MEN'S WORK

Charles Bukowski. "Stardust Steak"

“I could barely see, I could barely pull myself together and catch at least one more ham, and then throw it further, at least throw one more. Blood splattered me from head to toe, a soft, dead, heavy SPLOP continually flew into my hands, the ham gave out slightly, like a woman’s ass, and I was too weak, I couldn’t even say, hey, what the HELL is this with you? , guys? The hams are flying, and I'm spinning, pinned like that guy on the cross, under this tin helmet, and they're running around with wheelbarrows of hams, hams, hams, and finally, they're all empty, and I'm standing, swaying and sucking in the yellow electric light".

American writer and poet (1920–1994). Mandatory attributes of almost all of his works: dYes motels, bars, drunkenness, fights and dirt. He writes about people who live exactly this way, and he himself constantly spends his time in a similar way.

ABOUT VALOR

Kurt Vonnegut. "Der Arme dolmetscher"

“We'll beat them down like we did in North Carolina and Tennessee,” said the colonel, who always won the exercises at home. "You will stay here, son. You will be my personal translator."

Twenty minutes later I again became an interpreter in the thick of things. Four German Tigers drove up to the doors of the headquarters, and two dozen German infantrymen, dismounted, surrounded us with machine guns.”

Famous American novelist and artist (1922–2007). He was born in Indianapolis, to which many of his novels and stories were later dedicated. After the bombing of the military base at Pearl Harbor Japanese troops he volunteered for the US Army and participated in World War II, to which he also dedicated many works, the most famous of which is “Slaughterhouse-Five, or Crusade children."

ABOUT SUCCESSFUL DATING

Somerset Maugham. "Breakfast"

“We were waiting for the asparagus to be cooked. I was overcome by fear. I no longer asked myself whether there would be enough money until the end of the month - I was only thinking about how to pay the bill. What a shame if some ten francs are not enough and I have to borrow them from my guest. No, that was out of the question. I knew exactly how much I had, and decided that if the bill exceeded this amount, I would put my hand in my pocket and, jumping to my feet with a cry of horror, say that my wallet had been stolen. It will, of course, be very awkward if she doesn’t have money either. Then all that remains is to offer your watch as collateral, and then come back and pay the bill.”

English writer of the early and mid-20th century. Born in France in 1874 in the family of one of the employees of the British embassy in Paris. He moved to England in 1884 after his parents died - there he learned English, and before that he spoke exclusively French.

ABOUT SPACE

Ray Bradbury. "Kaleidoscope"

"- What?
- What I heard. I don’t care about your rank, you are now sixteen thousand kilometers away, and let’s not make a laughing stock of ourselves. As Stimson said: we still have a long way to go down.
- Applegate!
- Oh, shut up. I declare a one-man revolt. I have nothing to lose, not a damn thing. Your ship was crappy, and you were a lousy captain, and I hope you break your neck when you hit the moon.”

American novelist and science fiction writer. He was born on August 22, 1920 in the small town of Waukegan, Illinois. The ninety-year-old writer lives in Los Angeles and still continues to engage in literature.

ABOUT MONEY

Pelham Granville Woodhouse. "Five minutes to a millionaire"

“Flower followed George like a shadow all day, then, taking him aside, patted him on the stomach and demanded a loan in the amount of one sovereign. He explained to George that he, too, was a gentleman, that the work of an insurance agent was worse than slavery for him, that the man who would support him in a grand undertaking would soon become the owner of the suburban gooseberry plantations.

The author of novels, plays and short stories, he is best known for his series of novels about the young aristocrat Bert Wooster and his talented servant Jeeves, which was later adapted into the TV series Jeeves and Wooster, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

ABOUT THE PAST

Yaroslav Hasek. "Biography of an American"

“I set the farm on fire and we collected over sixty thousand dollars in insurance. As a reward, my mother bought me a beautiful leather-bound Bible. Every square centimeter the skin cost a dollar and a quarter, for it was the skin of the leader of the Sioux Indian tribe. Subsequently it turned out that the leader was alive and the bookseller simply deceived us.”

Czech writer, author of humorous stories, best known for his satirical novel "Adventures good soldier Svejka”, which later became the most popular Czech novel in the world. In 1903, Hasek left his job as a bank clerk to devote himself to literary craft; in the same year his first collection of poems was published.

ABOUT RACING

James Joyce. "After the Races"

"Cards! Cards! The table has been cleared. Villona quietly returned to the piano and began to improvise. The rest played game after game, bravely taking risks. They drank to the health of the queen of diamonds and to the health of the queen of clubs. Jimmy even regretted that no one could hear them: the jokes kept pouring out. The excitement was heating up, and banknotes were used. Jimmy didn't know exactly who was winning, but he knew he was losing. However, he himself was to blame, he often got confused in the cards, and his partners had to calculate for him how much he owed. There was plenty of company, but they had better finish quickly: it was getting late. Someone proposed a toast to the yacht “Beauty of Newport,” and then someone else suggested playing the last, accelerating one.”

Irish writer (1882–1941), author of numerous short stories and novels, the most famous of which is Ulysses, published in 1922. Although Joyce left Ireland forever as a young man, all of his works take place in Dublin and its suburbs.

ABOUT GIRLS

Irwin Shaw. "Girls in Summer Dresses"

“Of course,” he answered, looking away from the hatless girl with short-cropped hair who walked past with the grace of a dancer. She wasn't wearing a coat either, so Michael noted her flat, youthful stomach and hips, which moved from side to side. Firstly, because she was a dancer, and secondly, because she caught Michael’s gaze fixed on her. The girl smiled at something of her own. Michael noticed all this before he turned to his wife."

American writer and screenwriter. His first novel, “Young Lions,” based on the author’s war experiences, brought him fame. The show started writing activity from radio play scripts. In 1936, Shaw's play "Buried the Dead" was staged for the first time. Irwin Shaw has received a number of prestigious awards and honors, including two O. Henry Awards, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and three Playboy Awards.

ABOUT THE EXCITATION

Roald Dahl. "Man from the South"

“- Yeah! - he said and put a bottle of gin on the table. Then he took his wallet out of his pocket and took out a pound sterling. - Please, do something for me. He handed the maid a banknote. “Take this,” he said. - We're going to play a game here, and I want you to bring me two, no, three things. I need nails, a hammer and a butcher knife, which you can borrow from the kitchen. You can bring it all, right?”

The British writer and screenwriter is known throughout the world for his children's books, for example, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” His numerous stories for adults and children are most often filled with black humor. Roald Dahl was not only a writer - from 1933 to 1939 he worked for Shell Oil, after which he joined the Royal Air Force and became a combat pilot.

ABOUT CONFUSIONS

Edgar Allan Poe. "Three Sundays in one week"

“Pratt: I apologize to both of you, but it is impossible that I was so mistaken.
I know for sure that tomorrow is Sunday, because I...
Smitherton (with amazement): Excuse me, what are you saying? Wasn't it Sunday yesterday?
All: Yesterday? Are you out of your mind?
Uncle: I'm telling you, it's Sunday today! Should I not know?

American writer, poet, literary critic and editor, is a representative of American romanticism. One of the first American writers, who created their works in the genre of short stories.

ABOUT INVESTIGATIONS

Lawrence Block. "A Man's Business"

“The initial investigation of the crime scene was carried out by Phinney and Mattera. Onlookers were already crowding around, but neither Finny nor Mattera shared their interest in what was happening. They arrived, looked, made sure that there were no witnesses, that is, there was no one to interrogate, and went to the White Castle to have a cup of coffee. Let the experts sweat to find a black cat in a dark room. Fingerprints? Evidence? Motives? Waste of time."

American detective writer. He first began publishing at the age of twenty-one - his first story was published in the New York magazine Manhunt. Since then, Blok has become the author of more than fifty novels, and was also awarded the honorary Poe Prize three times.

ABOUT MILITARY SERVICE

Jerome Salinger. "Softhearted Sergeant"

“I met many more good guys in the army than in my entire civilian life. And I've seen a lot of things. I've been married twelve years now, and I wouldn't mind getting a dollar every time I tell Juanita, my wife, something, and she says, "It sends shivers down my spine, Philly." Juanita always gets goosebumps when you tell her something like that. No, you shouldn’t marry girls who don’t get goosebumps when you tell them about something that doesn’t exist anywhere, but only in the army.”

American prose writer (1919–2010), best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye. In his youth, Salinger entered and studied at several educational institutions: he studied sausage production in Austria, took a short story course at Columbia University and so on, but never graduated from any university, which greatly disappointed his father, who tried to provide his son with a good education.

In our era of active urbanization, interest in cultures untouched by civilization continues, which does not deprive them of their complexity and versatility. Perhaps in this way, albeit somewhat simplified, the average person, caught in the snare of urban stress, is trying to break out into a state of some kind of primitive freedom. In this regard, I recall the words of K. Jung, with which I would like to agree: “<...>our life, based only on rationalism and arguments common sense, is actually poor and empty. We smile at the "naivety" of the Indians out of envy; we need to put them in that light to show off to ourselves once again how smart we are, otherwise we would discover how impoverished and mundane our lives are.”

Heike Owusu in his book “Symbols of the Indians of North America” (St. Petersburg: Publishing House “DILYA”, 2006 / “Symbole der Indianer Nordamerikas”, Heike Owusu, translated from German) talks about the meaning of several hundred symbols of more than 30 North American tribes.

The book is structured and artistically designed in such a way that the reader can easily find the symbolism used by certain tribes. It begins with a brief overview of simple symbols. Here you can learn about the semiotic load that straight and curved lines carry, as symbolized by signs in the shape of a cross and sharp angles, as indicated by various geometric figures- triangles, quadrangles, circles, and also find out the meaning of some other graphic signs.

The animistic ideas of the Indians about the “living” world manifested themselves as a belief in the incarnation higher power in objects of the surrounding world. The North American Indians called it different names. For example, the Sioux called it Wakonda, the Ojibway - Manido, and the Iroquois - Orenda. The reader has the opportunity to familiarize himself with the symbols of the world order, the most common among Indian tribes. So, you can learn about Makha (the “hunchbacked flutist”), the variety of symbols of the Earth, images of the world, and the Tree of Life.

In addition to a general excursion into the symbolism of the North American Indians, the author analyzes in detail the drawings of the tribes that inhabited different regions North America: southwest (Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Pueblo, Yaqui, Zuni), plains (Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Kiowa, Omaha, Osage, Pawnee, Sioux), northwest coast (Haidah, Kwakiutli, Salish, Tlingit), subarctic region (Beavers, Chipiayen, Cree, Naskapi, Ojibway), northeast (Algonquin, Delaware, Huron, Iroquois, etc.).

It should be noted separately that the traditional decorative arts of the Indians, expressed in rock and wall paintings, Navajo sand paintings, the design of staves, peace pipes, household items and clothing, images on stones and bodies, remains not fully comprehended and appreciated by ordinary people because of its style, unusual for traditional Western culture. Perhaps it would receive more attention in modern Western civilization, if it belonged to trends well studied in the West, namely realism or abstractionism. However, Indian visual culture looks too naive in comparison; it is conventional and schematic, and this makes it perceived from a somewhat simplified perspective.

For a deeper understanding of Indian art, it seems to me important understanding the fact that it never strived for an unconditional reflection of the external world and was traditionally turned inward, to the manifestations of the mental space of the individual in its integration with the essence of the surrounding realities. Despite the intuitively developed aesthetic principle among the Indians (and, in my opinion, it could not have been otherwise given their absolute unity with nature), it is difficult to consider it decisive in Indian art, since the main goal was still the translation of implicit, vaguely conscious meanings and sacred knowledge.

And while a European, looking at the drawings of representatives of Indian tribes, is able to see only elements of an ornament, decoration or primitive image, an Indian is able to perceive the true message due to a much deeper penetration into the artist’s intention. By the way, Indian fine art is relevant in American painting to this day.

The book also seemed interesting to me because, in addition to the content of graphic symbols, Heike Owuzu reveals the meanings of 44 (!) totem animals, which, according to the ideas of the Indians, were the ancestors of clans, accompanied people all their lives with their spirit and strength, provided help and support in affairs.

I think that this book may be useful to everyone who is interested in proto-religions, symbolism in various fields, fine arts, as well as those who are trying to understand the way of thinking of people living in a world beyond modern civilization. According to the memoirs of K. Jung, one of the Indian leaders told him: “Look how fierce and worried the white people look. Their lips are compressed, their nose is pointed, their whole face is covered with folds and wrinkles. There is always concern in their eyes; they are always saying something "They are looking. And what are they looking for? They always need something, always lack something; they are always restless and tense. We don’t understand what they want. We don’t understand them. It seems to us that they are just crazy."

And we, modern urbanophiles and products of the culture of material consumption, can we understand them, looking with calm dignity through the smoke clouds of centuries at a world that has lost its harmony? I really hope that Heike Owuzu’s book “Symbols of the Indians of North America” will help with this.

All the best, Your Albina Bengalskaya.

P.S. If you want to learn more about the world of Indians, I recommend paying attention to the wonderful book “Indians of North America. Life, Religion, Culture,” authored by John Manchip White.

Wendigo from the Cree tribe

It all started in the spring of 1879, I remember these events well. To police inspector V.D. Jarvis, who was part of the North West Mounted Police team at Fort Saskatchewan, received a message to check on a Cree Indian known as Kah-Kee-See-Koo-Chin. Last year, he left Athabasca with his wife, five children, his brother-in-law and mother-in-law, ostensibly on his way to routine fall and winter hunting and trapping. In the spring, he appeared in a small Métis village with a Catholic mission, on Big Lake (now St. Albert, Alberta) without his relatives. He came alone, and as it seemed then more important, tried to entice some of the mission schoolchildren, who had been orphaned by the devastating smallpox epidemic of earlier years, to visit his “beautiful” camp.

Answering a question from the mission priests, the Indian stated that his wife, children, brother-in-law and mother-in-law had all died of hunger in the forest. The appearance of the Indian made the priests think. He looked sleek and well-fed. In no way reminiscent of someone who suffered and saw his loved ones die painfully. The pangs of hunger apparently did not affect him. The mission fathers reported their suspicions to Superintendent Jarvis. Sergeant "Dick" Steele was immediately dispatched from Fort Saskatchewan to question the Indian. The sergeant also doubted the "hunger" story, shackled the suspect and took him back to the fort. He was the brother of the late Major General Sir Samuel B. Steele, who was then Sub-Inspector of the Armed Forces.

Arriving at the scene, the Indian told Superintendent Jarvis that during the hunting season he had seen almost no game, and the death of one of his sons had caused such suffering to the boy's mother that she had shot herself. Later, hunger killed everyone else. He himself managed to survive only because he cooked and ate his wigwam, from which he received enough strength to get to the Great Lake.
Two days later, a party consisting of Sub-Inspector C. Gagnon, Sergeant (Doctor) Hirscher, several constables, a half-breed scout and interpreter Brazso, with a "Red River wagon" in which the prisoner was located, left the fort in search of the "hunger" camp.

At the beginning of the trip, the police were disappointed by the false information received from the arrested person. He directed them through miles of bushes and swamps, fortunately still partially frozen. Finally, Sub-Inspector Gagnon, realizing that drastic measures were necessary, decided to consult with Brazso. The translator understood perfectly well what Father Pierre de Smet, the famous Catholic missionary, meant when he spoke about the “mystery of the Indian stomach.”
“Well, my captain,” recommended Brazso. “I'm telling you. Give him a strong muss-kee-kee-wash-bwee and he'll tell you everything just fine." The mestizo has seen the effect of this “strong medicine” on many Indian braves; it is the strongest elixir of life, consisting of strongly brewed tea, to which a generous amount of tobacco is added and allowed to soak. In the case of Fast Runner, the toxic concoction was even more effective than the modern truth serum - scopolamine. Under his influence, the Indian became very talkative, and Sub-Inspector Gagnon began a psychological game.

When the prisoner was sufficiently “alive”, the sub-inspector asked: “What did you do with the bodies after your family died of starvation? The ground was too frozen to dig graves.”
“I piled them up and covered them with tree branches and leaves.”
“But,” said the officer, “this does not provide any protection from bears and wolves.”
The besotted Indian swallowed the bait and joyfully shouted “Tapway!, Tapway!” Ekoosee Mahgah! (True! True! That’s how it is, but) Wahhankee Keezikow (Tomorrow I’ll show you)!”
The next morning, under the “influence” of fidelity to his promise, the contracted party of the police headed towards the thickest part of the bush. Approaching him, he stopped, threw his head back and let out a long wolf howl.
Sub-Inspector Gagnon looked at him intently and muttered, "Huh, it's getting warmer." He ordered a search nearby, and soon an abandoned camp was discovered, located in a small clearing on an island in the middle of a large swamp, which could be easily reached, since the ice had not yet melted everywhere.

The searchers found Indian traps hanging in the trees and his moose skin wigwam, not boiled or eaten as he claimed, but much evidence neatly folded and hidden in the tree branches that had been caught in the traps.
A group of policemen looked around in horror, and gradually the realization of the truth came to them. Human skulls and bones scattered around the extinguished fire and tripod, greasy fingerprints on the trunks of the surrounding trees, all disgusting evidence of the prisoner's cannibal orgy.
“There,” he shouted. “I told you, they were eaten by bears!” But there were no signs of claws and teeth that bit the flesh; traces of human teeth were visible on the scattered bones. A knife and an ax were used to dismember the corpses.

"Oh Gods!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, feeling nauseous, “Just try to imagine this camp during the long, cold nights of last winter. Imagine this monster sitting here with the corpses, stirring the wood that has just been thrown into the fire, climbing into his wigwam to sleep, or using an ax and knife when he is hungry. Ugh!".
"Yes!" - said the other with a thoughtful shudder. “This scene is by Gustav Doré and rivals his eerie depictions of Dante’s Inferno!”
With gloomy faces, remaining silent, the police continued to search. One of the men felt a cramp in his stomach when he came across a baby's skull, which contained a homemade doll. Apparently the mother was making a small piece of clothing for the baby when her life suddenly went out. They found other things so terrible and sickening that they cannot be described. Sub-Inspector Gagnon and his men took with them the skulls and some of the bones; other remains were buried.

A preliminary examination was carried out at the fort. The prisoner identified his wife's skull by roughly poking his finger into the eye socket of one of the eight lying on Chief Officer Jarvis's desk.
“This,” he noted with a cheerful laugh, “is my wife.” In the end, the Indian admitted that not one of his family died of hunger. He killed and ate them, or, as the Indian put it, “made beef out of them.” He also stated that one of his sons was alive and helped him for several days before he (the prisoner) left his camp to go to Big Lake, then the boy suffered the same fate as the others.

As justification for his crime, Fast Runner said that several years ago, when he and the teenager were hunting in the areas far north, his companion died of hunger. Then he, Kah-Kee-See-Koo-Chin, in order to save his own life, ate the boy, and thus acquired an unforgettable addiction to the taste of human flesh.
The prisoner was later brought before the salaried magistrate, Hugh Richardson, and sentenced to death.
This is a reprint of The Last of Canada's Cannibals, written at the time by ex-Sergeant Major F. A. Bagley.
:(Editorial note: This is a reprint of "The Last of Canada"s Cannibals", written by the then ex-Sgt. Major F.A. Bagley. The story appeared originally in the July, 1942 issue of the Quarterly.)
http://www.thesfc.mezoka.com/archive/vol_14_4.htm
*INDIAN READING* in “contact” December 7, 2015