how did Native Americans read smoke signals?

Answer 1

it was the same as Morse Code. you sent the smoke up in a certain broken pattern, and other people knew what the pattern was.
like short short long meant hello
long long short mean goodbye

just made those examples up, but you get it...

Answer 2

By having the sender and receiver agree in advance on what each signal meant.

Smoke signals were not an "alphabet" -- most of the Indigenous Nations didn't have written languages -- so it was impossible to send word-by-word messages. The users would agree before the scouting party went out that -- just an imaginary example -- the smoke signals would be:

One long puff -- something in sight

Long puff, short puff -- sighted harmless wagon train

Short puff, short puff -- group of riders, apparently civilian

Two long puffs -- Riders in military formation and armed!

Probably four or five puffs would be the maximum that could be sent before the smoke clouds got too fuzzy to "read". But this gives enough "bits" to send some useful messages.

-- Dick Eney

Answer 3

Smoke signals aren't real. It's another myth perpetuated by some white people a long time ago.

Answer 4

Frequency of the puffs.

Answer 5

BY THE PUFFS OF SMOKE CREATED TO MEAN ING

Answer 6

Um...with smoke bifocals? Only if they were older.

Answer 7

with their eyes