Power Hour 22 (Pictures of the Year by Rachelle Kreisman)

Long ago, however, cameras had not been invented yet. How did people back then record important moments?

Some people told stories about old times. Others wrote down what they remembered. Some people made special drawings to help them recall important moments. Among those people were Native Americans of the Lakota tribe.

Every year, Lakota leaders decided which event was most important. A Lakota artist was then asked to draw a special picture of that event. Because each year's picture was decided on during the winter, the drawings became known as winter counts. 

For a long time, winter counts were drawn on animal skins. Later, the drawings were done on paper. The pictures told the history of the tribe. Each year, the newest winter count was added to the Lakota collection of pictures from earlier times. That helped people keep track of the years. Today, winter counts are important records of the Lakota's past.