INDIAN DWELLINGS WATERMAN 463 



4, fig. 1). Among the Ojibwa and Menominee, in the lake region 

 of Minnesota, matting made of rushes was employed as covering 

 material, being more readily available there than bark. It is note- 

 worthy in a general way that as we go farther north Indian houses 

 become simpler and simpler, until in the far north, among the Cree 

 or the Salteaux, the structure is a simple framework of light poles 

 in the shape of a flat cone, covered over in some fashion with sheets 

 of bark matting, or what not. 



The original population in this eastern area was dense as com- 

 pared with that farther west, because of the greater productivity 

 based in turn on the occurrence of summer rains. There were people 

 enough, for instance, to build numerous and quite substantial earth- 

 vrorks. These included burial mounds, ceremonial mounds, and 

 fortifications. The mounds were so widely scattered and some at 

 least of the fortifications so tremendous and impressive, that we 

 have come to refer to these peoples as " mound builders." The idea 

 that the mound builders were different in any respect from other 

 Indians is quite without foundation. Some of the mounds were 

 built, in fact, after the coming of the whites, as is proved by the 

 presence in them of European objects — medals, scissors, porcelain, 

 pewter, metal buttons, and iron laiives. Yet all the Indians living 

 in the Ohio Valley at the moment when the settlers came into that 

 region were not numerous enough to man the ramparts of the old 

 Indian earthwork Imown as "Fort Ancient." This decline may be 

 attributed to a sudden movement of the erstwhile stationary popu- 

 lation from the area, owing probably to the introduction into Amer- 

 ica of the horse. The Indians were originally without horses and, 

 in North America and Mexico, without burden animals of any 

 description except the dog. In fact, American Indian society, speak- 

 ing generally, developed a civilization without draft animals or 

 vehicles. The introduction of the horse by the Spaniards led to 

 a great economic transformation, a general drift of the population 

 to the Plains, where pursuit of the buffalo was suddenly made very 

 easy and sensationally successful. Here a peculiar way of living 

 developed, apparently after the Spanish conquest of Mexico but 

 long before the inroad of English-speaking people from the Atlantic 

 side. Let us turn to the habitations of the "horseback" Indians 

 of the Plains. 



DWELLING OF THE PLAINS INDIANS : THE TIPI 



The history of the Plains region of North America does not go 

 back very far. When our historical knowledge begins, the tribes 

 were already in possession of horses, and a novel mode of existence 

 had already developed. What conditions had been before that time 



