Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1670

Date Range To

1770

Materials

IRON

No. Pieces

1

Length

19.7(BLADE)

Width

11.2

Diameter

2.5

Description

SOFT FORGED IRON. HEART SHAPED HOLE STAMPED IN BLADE. HAND FORGED. LEATHER HANDLE. CONSERVATION REPORT ON FILE.

Subjects

INDIGENOUS

WOODWORKING T&E

Historical Association

ETHNOGRAPHIC

History

HUDSON BAY COMPANY. REF: SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. "BEATEN OUT OF SOFT IRON, THE AXE SHAPED HEAD PLAINLY SHOWS THE IMPRESSIONS OF THE FORGE AND HAS CUT THROUGH THE METAL A HEART SHAPED PATTERN, AND THIS MARK IDENTIFIES THE WEAPON AS BEING OVER 200 YEARS OLD, ACCORDING TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, WHICH WAS CONSULTED BY THE OWNER OF THE RELIC, FRED BOTSFORD OF LETHBRIDGE, WELL-KNOWN STUDENT OF INDIAN LORE. THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY EXPLAINS THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY HAD BEEN FORMED IN 1670, ITS OFFICIALS SHIPPED SUPPLIES OF WEAPONS SUITABLE FOR THE USE OF INDIANS TO BE TRADED FOR THE BEAVER SKINS. AMONG THESE WAS A LOT OF TOMAHAWKS - THE FIRST OF MANY OTHER SHIPMENTS. EACH SHIPMENT BORE ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE MARK, AND THE BLADES WERE INCISED WITH THIS FEATURE. EARLIEST OF ALL WAS THE HEART SHAPED HOLE, FOLLOWED BY A SEQUENCE CONSISTING OF DIAMONDS, CLUBS AND SPADES, TO PLEASE THE GAMBLING INSTINCTS OF ALL TRADERS. AS THE TOMAHAWK IN THE POSSESSION OF MR. BOTSFORD CARRIES THE HEART BRAND, IT IS BELIEVED TO BELONG TO THE INITIAL SHIPMENT OF THESE WEAPONS TO ARRIVE IN CANADA, AND TO BE AT LEAST 200 YEARS OLD". 22 OCTOBER 2021 UPDATE: THE LABEL TEXT QUOTED BELOW WAS DEVELOPED WITH KAINAI ELDERS FOR A SUB-THEME WITHIN THE EXHIBIT ‘MADE IN’, TITLED ‘NIITSITAPISSKSAHKOYI’ AND INSTALLED WITHIN THE GALT IN 2021. ELDERS WHO PROVIDED MUSEUM CURATOR AIMEE BENOIT WITH DIRECTION ON SUBTHEME’S CONTENT INCLUDED: AAGOHH GISS STSISTIIGIIAAKII (MANY OFFERINGS WOMAN, GRETA MANY BEARS), GUUYII STAA BAAMUUGHKAA (WALKING ON TOP, RAYMOND MANY BEARS), NIINAA PIIKSII (CHIEF BIRD, MIKE BRUISED HEAD), MO’TOKAANII’PO (WALKING WITH A SCALP, HARRISON RED CROW) AND MIINIIPOKA (SACRED BERRY CHILD, PETER WEASEL MOCCASIN). THE GALT APPRECIATED THE GENEROSITY OF THE ELDERS WHO SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE FOR THIS EXHIBIT PROJECT. “KAKSAAKIN (HAND-FORGED TRADE HATCHET): ‘THESE ARE THE TRUE TRADE ITEMS HERE, BEFORE THEY WERE MADE INTO ANYTHING FASHIONABLE OR FITTED WITH HANDLES. A LOT OF ITEMS WERE TRADED TO THE BLACKFOOT PEOPLE, WHERE THEIR INTENT WAS FOR SOMETHING ELSE; BUT THE FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE FOUND ANOTHER USE—TO DECORATE, OR WHATEVER. BRASS UPHOLSTERY TACKS WERE USED TO DECORATE HANDLES ON WHIPS OR SPEARS. HAWK BELLS OR FALCON BELLS WERE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER TO DECORATE DRESSES, ON THE BODICE; SOME OF THEM WOULD HAVE HAD BELLS OR THIMBLES. THEY WERE ALSO USED TO DECORATE OR ADORN SACRED ITEMS.’ – MO’TOKAANII’PO”

Catalogue Number

P19738042000

Acquisition Date

1973-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail