Wild Hog Ledger-Kansas State Historical Society

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ANIMALS: Buffalo; BIRDS: Killdeer

Ethnographic Notes

Right: A black buffalo, heavily shaded, floats over a group of half-drawn tipis. The right-hand side of the page has the pencil outline of a tipi with smoke flap open. Lines beside it, from right to left and behind the buffalo, suggest a line of incomplete tipis. The black bison is rotund, perhaps a female. The outline is full in the belly, shaggy on the head, beard, and forelegs, and the tail, pointed downward, has a tasseled edging. The four feet have split hooves. Although the drawings of this and related Dodge City 1879 ledgers by Northern Cheyenne survivors of the Fort Robinson Breakout are crude, compared to most Cheyenne ledgers, this is one of the few unfinished images. This is also unusual for the way the bison is positioned to appear several feet above the ground level or bottom of the page. Media: Lead pencil outline, details, and fill Left: Three ring-necked game birds are probably Killdeer, similar to those shown in Plate 30. Killdeer, also known as two-ringed plovers, are found in western Kansas. They were overhunted by the end of the 19th century, but they would have been plentiful at the time this ledger was created. The birds stand in profile facing from right to left. They are all drawn identically: pencil outline filled with ink; lozenge-shaped heads, two white bands around the long necks; chunky bodies; short, stubby tails; and large feathered legs with three small and straight claws. They are in descending size, starting with the largest in the right-hand (dominant) position. Moore notes the killdeer's name "tohtaanotovahe" in Cheyenne literally means 'ring-neck'" (1986: 186). He reports it is "mentioned in connection with rainfall," and is known for its "unique manner of running along the ground (1986: 186). No other birds in the area have these distinct ringed necks. Ring-necked pheasants, which have only one ring, were introduced to the United States in 1881, after the creation of this ledger notebook. Both birds and antelope of these two seemingly unrelated pages have neck rings. Media: Pencil outline and details; black ink fill


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The cover inscription reads: "Pictures drawn by Wild Hog and other northern Cheyenne Indian Chiefs while in th...

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Document Info
Plate No: 40
Page No: 76-77
Media: Lead pencil, black ink
Dimensions: 3.25 x 5 in (8.5 x 12.75 cm)
Custodian
Kansas Historical Society/kansasmemory.org
Artist
Wild Hog
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