2 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8/ 



quills.' My bed was always placed farthest from the door of the tipi, 

 a place of honor.' 



My mother taught me everything connected with the tipi, such as 

 cooking and tanning hides for dififerent purposes. The first pair of 

 moccasins I made were for my father. " You are very good in mak- 

 ing moccasins," he said with a smile. " they are very nice." This 

 encouraged me greatly. 



My mother would show me how to twist the sinews, and how to cut 

 the soles and uppers of the moccasins for dififerent sizes. I became 

 very competent in this work at an early age. I used to make moc- 

 casins for other children, beaded as well as plain ones. I was always 

 well rewarded for my work by the parents of the children. 



Whenever we moved camp I always managed to catch my own 

 riding pony, and to pack my personal belongings on another pony 

 which was used for that purpose only. 



My mother would always tell me that the main purpose of her 

 teaching me, as well as the object of my owning my own bed. was to 

 keep me at home, and to keep me from being away to spend my nights 

 with my girl chum. This was done so that there would be no chance 

 for gossip by other people. 



My parents were very proud of me. In fact they treated me as if 

 I were a male member of the family. They took the greatest pains 

 to have me well dressed. Even my saddle was decorated. I also 

 owned an elk-tooth dress." This was afforded by only a very few. 

 And it was by no means considered obtained by luck, but by years of 

 hard hunting. 



One day when we were moving, my mother taught me how to put 

 a pack on the pony. This was a new pony unaccustomed to being 

 packed. I noticed it would not stand still. When we turned it loose 

 with the other pack animals it ran away and caused much excitement. 



Apart from the regular training my mother gave me, she made for 

 me the paraphernalia of the deer-hoof bone game, which are strung 

 and looped at the end of a string.* The game is played by girls ; and 

 after maturity young men and young women participate in the game, 

 sitting in alternate places. I was rather an expert in this game. I 

 was always placed near the door. This was because I was a good 

 player. In the alternate positions the young men were recognized 

 as sweethearts whether they actually were or not. 



^ For pillows decorated with porcupine quills see Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. 2, p. i86. 



^ See Grinnell, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 73. 

 ' ^ See Grinnell. loc. cit., vol. i, p. 224. 



* See Culin. Stewart, Games of the North American Indians, 24th Ann. Rep. 

 Bur. Amer. Ethnol.. pp. 527 et seq., and ^2g-^^$, 1007. 



