The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

FRIENDSHIP STICK

(TWO DRAWINGS--FRONT VIEW AND BACK VIEW OF THE STICK. TOP IS GREEN
FOR FRIENDSHIP. UNDERNEATH ON FRONT ARE THREE CIRCLES, ONE FOR NOSE,
TWO FOR EYES, WITH A LARGER OPENING UNDERNEATH FOR THE MOUTH. FOUR
DOTS UNDERNEATH ARE RED, WHITE, BLACK, AND YELLOW, REPRESENTING THE
FORMS OF RACES. ON THE BACK ARE A BLACK DOT FOR STRENGTH, AN X WITH
BLACK, YELLOW, RED, AND WHITE DOTS AT THE EXTREMITIES (SIGNIFYING
THE COMING TOGETHER OF ALL PEOPLES IN:) FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, TRUST, AND
HOPE (THESE LAST FOUR QUALITIES SYMBOLIZED RESPECTIVELY BY GREEN,
RED, AND WHITE DOTS.)

Submitter comment: THIS FRIENDSHIP STICK IS CARVED ON A STICK FROM A STRONG OAK TREE
IF POSSIBLE, THEN PAINTED, EACH PART SIGNIFYING SOMETHING. IT IS
THEN GIVEN TO A FRIEND, AS A SYMBOL OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP.

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR.