Cigar Store Indian

Oh deer . . .

Somewhat disturbingly, a "cigar-store Indian" has appeared in the neighborhood. It stands outside an establishment that sells specifically Cuban and Ecuadorian cigars. (I didn't know that carved Native Americans were associated with stogies in Cuba and Ecuador, but maybe they are.) How these figures came to symbolize cigar smoking is a mystery to me. Maybe some Native American tribes enjoyed puffing on a nice roll of tobacco, but so did a lot of other groups . . . I'm tempted to say this fellow has a wooden expression--sorely tempted--but actually he wears a warm, enigmatic smile. I suppose he's extremely pleased with himself for bagging that deer, and maybe planning to celebrate with a good cigar.
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