Counting by WintersWinter counts are histories or calendars in which events are recorded by pictures, with one picture for each year. The Lakota call them waniyetu wowapi.Waniyetu is the word for year, which is measured from first snowfall to first snowfall. It is often translated as 'a winter.'Wowapi means anything that is marked on a flat surface and can be read or counted, such as a book, a letter, or a drawing.
Winter counts are physical records that were used in conjunction with a more extensive oral history. Each year was named for an event and the pictures referring to the year names served as a reference source that could be consulted regarding the order of the years. People knew the name of the year in which other important events occurred, and could place these in time by referring to the winter count.
via Lakota Winter Counts Online Exhibit
