Winter Count

A winter count is a form of calendar or year record used by some North American Indian tribes. These records consist of pictographic accounts of significant events, serving as tribal chronicles.1

While no single North American Indian tribe possessed a comprehensive calendar system, they did have ways of tracking time. Days were a basic unit, often counted using bundles of sticks. Longer periods were typically measured by moons or seasons, with years often designated by a season, such as "10 winters ago".2

Some tribes recorded sequences of events on notched sticks or through pictographs, like the "Lone-Dog Winter Count," which documented 71 years starting from 1800. These records were crucial for preserving tribal history and memory.2