What are Indian Tinklers

[Larry (IL)]

(from google): Tinklers are shown in archival photographs, were pictured by early travelers on the northwestern Plains, are found in archaeological sites, are on display in numerous museums, and are present in local artifact collections. Metal tinkers were made from a pie-shaped or wedge-shaped piece to produce a conical form, small at the upper end and more open at the lower, manufactured by wrapping the cut piece around a small metal awl. The completed conical pieces, usually about 3/4 to 1 inch long, are suspended from a shoe, shirt, or other garment. Finely made tinklers were generally obtained through trade, as Hoebel noted in his ethnography of the Cheyenne:



That was interesting reading and it is starting to make sense now that they apparently "tinkled" when they hit each other.

 

[Nancy-IL]

That was interesting reading and it is starting to make sense now that they apparently "tinkled" when they hit each other.

"TINKLED", I thought he meant something else.

 

[captainron]

Good explanation, Larry. The ones found around our area, as a general statement, came from Quebec, Canada, where tons of trade goods worked down the rivers and lakes, ending up down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, trading with white as well as Indians, of course. I was told trade started in the 1775 range to the early 1800's when the Indians were moved West. They would thread a small bead and tie it off, then feed the thread from the larger end thru the smaller end, stopping when the bead snugs up to the small end and then tie the "tinklers" in pairs or more, even in rows for ceremonial vests a higher ranked Indian might "show off" in. Anyway, digging one is holding it for the first time in 200 years, eh?

HH and hope to see alot of you at our annual weekend hunt very soon,

Capt Ron