Today we look back to a time when the Native American modelled themselves on the animals that surrounded them, and had learned to co-exist with nature. They were nomadic, and they hunted to live, not for thrill or profit. One of the Indian`s closest relationships was with the wolf, and to have a wolf as your spirit animal, or to be named after one, was a very great honour. The wolf was clever, wise, loyal, and faithful to his pack, but yet remained free.
Lean Wolf, showing here, was a member of the White Clay People. However it became anglicised, or turned into French first, as the Gros Ventres, Gros meaning large, and Ventre meaning belly. There is a rather shcking truth to this name for it does not come from them overeating, it comes from the name their their once fellow tribesmen of the Arapaho called them after their joined tribe had become one, and that was the Hitunena. Now that word has several meanings but all boil down to the same thing, that they were going hungry and begging for food, and as we know from places across the world with hunger and drought, if you have insufficient food, your stomachs, especially the stomachs of your children, swell through water retention and the lack of nutrients, and proteins, which ought to be provided in your daily meals.
Is this the way that "Lean" Wolf got his name, too?
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index lists this set at the back of the book as ZA8-20, which is part of section 1, "English Language Issues - with references to tobacco", and sub-sections 1C.d, which are "Issues 1919-40" / "Overseas Issues through B.A.T."
The listing for our set is just "INDIAN CHIEFS. Sm. 70 x 38. Nd. (50) See RB.21/310A".
So lets go to RB.21, which is the original British-American Tobacco Company booklet (RB.21) published in 1952. In the front index it tells us that the set was issued in 1930, in Malta, Malaya, and South Africa, whilst in the actual text it appears under "Section XIII - Group 6 - Multi-Area Series", with the description of :
310. INDIAN CHIEFS. Small cards. Front in colour. Back in black. Numbered series of 50.
A. Anonymous issue, with letterpress on back. Size 70 x 38 m/m.
B. Anonymous issue, with Spanish Language back. Size 65 x 38 m/m. Titled "Jefes de Pieles Rojas". Backs on yellowish board.
- and then it gets really interesting, but you will have to wait until tomorrow for that...