7.1 Writing and Records (including religious texts)
Accession date:
1906
Context of use:
Sent as invitation to a ceremony. Sent from Ephe Cummings (Miwok) to Alfred L. Kroeber via E.L. McLeod as an invitation to attend a dance at Railroad Flat in October 1906.
Department:
Native California (archaeology and ethnology)
Dimensions:
length 57 centimeters
Comment:
Native name and meaning: "sutela". Another string, obtained by C. Hart Merriam at the same time has more complete information. See also 1-20890 and a similar string in C. Hart Merriam notes. "Soo'-te-lah", the knotted string sent to a person as an invitation to a ceremony. The number of knots indicates the number of days before the ceremony. This particular "soo-te-lah was my invitation to a 4-day ceremony held at "Ha'-cha-nah" (Railroad Flat) Calaveras Co., Calif. Oct. 9-12, 1906. It was sent to me on Sept. 22, from which date the count begins. It has 19 knots. One knot should be untied each day till only 2 are left. On the night of this day, (the 17th after the sending of the invitation) the "yum-me" or mourning ceremony begins. Two nights later (when the last knot has been untied) the "Kal-la-"ah" or dancing ceremony begins. I went and remained through the entire ceremony." - from the notes of C. Hart Merriam. Photo: 15-5978. Published: Milwaukee Publ. Museum Bull. v. 2, pl. 63.