Hómach-Ksáchkum, Kutenai Man

Description

This Kutenai man had apparently made his home with the Piegans for some time and had become a respected leader. A friendly person, he and Maximilian talked at length about Kutenai customs and language. A fur company trading expedition to the Kutenai country far to the northwest of Fort McKenzie set out on August 30 with Hómach-Ksáchkum as a guide. The journey was never completed, for the party was attacked by Blood Indians and one of the company employees was killed. Hómach-Ksáchkum wears a fringed skin shirt and a buffalo robe. In contrast to his richly ornamented son in the previous plate, he wears only a braided choker, probably one made of sweet grass. Maximilian observed several such necklaces among the Blackfeet and tentatively identified the grass used as a species of Antboxantbum. More likely the grass was Hierochloe odorata, indigenous to the area and having a vanillalike scent similar to that of the European Antboxanthum. Hómach-Ksáchkum portrait was included in Tableau 46 of the aquatint atlas.