Frank G. Speck

Tsodasha a.k.a rabbit tobacco is one of the important plants that Indigenous Americans used both for practicality and spirituality. Both its fragrance, and its "tinder-bility" made this one of the important herbs for the Yuchi. Its importance is underscored by the Morphemes in its name: where Tso means sun or sacred, and denotes the importance of this herb, and da means fire and sha means fast or quick. This might be more comfortably translated as Sacred-fire-fast, i.e. sacred fire tinder. Dr. Jackson has researched the importance of the Everlasting species used in Oklahoma among the Yuchi, and reports his findings herein.

A discussion of the use of several design elements in Algonkian art by different native groups, with emphasis on a primary element known as the double-curve motive, as well as their origin, nature, and possible symbolism. Among the tribes identified in the paper as users of the double-curve motive are the Montagnais, Naskapi, and Eskimo of Labrador.

Speck did one of the earliest and most extensive ethnologies on the Yuchi. It is a fairly thorough turn of the century treatment, but it is reputed that none of the Yuchi elders wanted to provide any information to him because of his arrogant behavior -- his chief source was a half-Yuchi boy. This is substantiated by his ascertion that the Yuchi have forgotten most of their pre-Oklahoma traditions. Still the work is an anchor point between what its known of the Yuchi in early history and what has been written since. Speck was a good observer and a competent enthnologist.

This is a reprint. Largely a dictionary of Mohegan - Pequot as related by one of the last fluent speakers. Some of it is to be taken with a grain of salt.