[M ELEY]

There is a huge devide among historians on the use of the term 'tomahawk' when it comes to hammer poll axes versus the classic types. Likewise, there are varying opinions as to whether Native Americans used hammer poll axes versus the more-practical-for-warfare pipe tomahawks/spike tomahawks/halberd tomahawks and Missouri war axes. I am of the solid opinion that hammer polls were traded and used by the Native Americans just as they were to settlers, fur traders and soldiers of the era. After all, the main reason the Indians valued the iron tools so much was that their stone axes (a tool and weapon) didn't hold up as well over time. Native Americans had many uses for iron tools. Perhaps the formerly mentioned weapon axes were more popular with the natives, but to say that no Indians ever used them seems laughable.

As far as the term 'tomahawk' goes, this was a word/description given to these axe types by the white men, although the word was Indian and simply meant 'axe'. Ship's log books from the early 17th century referred to the multiple types of axes coming to the New World as 'tomahawks', 'tomnahawks', 'Tomahaks', etc. We associate this term to mean axes traded to the native peoples in exchange for furs at the time. In the early periods, they would have been simple poll axes an later, spike and halberd hea types. It really wasn't until the early 19th c. that the pipe tomahawk made it's grand appearance. These axes were highly prized by the Indians (and later collectors!!!), but one has to remember these types were made of very fine materials and decorated for very important men among the tribes (chiefs, medicine-men, high-ranking warriors). They were prized possessions not every average brave carried one. This is an important point and is proven by the scarcity of pipe axes as compared to the common spike or hammer poll axe. Yet in almost EVERY studio pic or Southwest photo, there is the brave with the brass PIPE tomahawk! Why this discrepency? Why so few pics of braves with spike tomahawks, hammer polls, or halberd types? I say for two reasons.#1 is that many of these were STUDIO pics and they dressed the warriors with the weapons almost everyone associates with the tribes. And #2, because many of the pics of the time featured powerful chiefs, who would indeed be carrying their favorite pipe tomahawks!

So, the point of this is to lend support that hammer-poll axes were still tomahawks if proven to be Indian-used. Here is a pic of a hammer tomahawk similar to mine from Lar Hothem's "Indian Trade Relics", pg 113.