Use of swords in American Indian tribes

[Jeff D]

Originally Posted by machinist

There is the "sword of the turtle people" from British Columbia.
A kastane that apparently was brought over by the Spanish.

http://infotel.ca/newsitem/similkame...ral-bc/it29759http://infotel.ca/newsitem/similkame...ral-bc/it29759

Well the world really is a small place. I haven't seen this article before but I have seen this kastane before. In around 2006 I ran into a gentleman who said he found this sword with a metal detector on a historic ranch about 7 miles from where I live. I told him that it was a kastane, he didn't believe me . He seemed sincere. So out of curiosity over the years I have dug into it a little. The Spanish connection in the article is possible but I always thought it got here by trade. This area was first explored by Europeans in the early 1800's by the Pacific Fur Company. Other companies operated in this area as well. I suspected this sword was a trade item brought here by one of the companies from the surplus stock of a European manufacturer. This seems to be bore out as I came across this inventory from the Rocky Mountain Outfit that operated east of here.
https://user.xmission.com/~drudy/mtm...l/rmo1836.html
The "12 dragon Swords" listed would have been a perfect description of the original Kastane. I always meant to tell him this but I never ran into him again.

Jeff