Sorry to punch in here...it had been documented that the Colonists
first scalped  the Indians as punishment (ne: retribution) more
humane than the burning at the stake depicted in Mann's glamorouse remake
of _The Last of the Mohicans_.  Thus the scalping (or the off the top of
my head remark) as it plays in Hollyood is correct ONLY in that -some-
Indian nations adopted this after the Colonial experiences spread with
Western expansion.  Also, "wampum", "papoos" and other "indian words"
were traced by a historian many decades back to one or more nations
first encountered by the Colonists on the lower East coast (the Powhattan
comes to mind...)  These words were adopted by the settlers and those who
tread Westward.  In their ignorence, they assume ALL Indian peoples spoke
the same language, when they met 'friendlies' they greeted them with
palms up in the air and said, "how!"
 
Robert Johnson
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