oii-MORE] INFLUEKCE OF FLORA 57 



months, Wazhushtecha-sha^wi, Red Strawberry moon— i. e. the 

 moon (lunar montli) when strawl)errie.s are red ripe, the name of 

 the month of June in the Dakota calendar. 



The prevalence of certain plants often gave origin to place names. 

 As examples of such names may be cited the Omaha name of Logan 

 Creek, tributary of the Elkhorn Eiver, Taspa^-hi-hate-ke (meaning 

 river where clumps of Crataegus are) . Another instance is the Omaha 

 name of Loup River, wliicli is Nv>-ta'-lce (river where nu. abounds). 

 Nu is the Omaha name of Ghjcine apios. The Omaha name of Little 

 Blue River is Maa-ozhl-k-e (river full of cottonwoods, m<ta). 



The character of the flora of a region has its effect on the style 

 of architecture. The tribes of the eastern woodlands had abundance 

 of timber for building, so their houses were log structures or frames 

 covered with bark. In Nebraska, where the forest growth was very 

 limited, the dwelling was the earth lodge, a frame of timbers 

 thatched with prairie grass and covered with earth. 



A people living with nature, and largely de])endent upon nature, 

 will note with care every natural aspect in their environment. Ac- 

 customed to observe through the days and the seasons, in times of 

 stress and of repose, every natural feature, they will watch for every 

 sign of the impending mood of nature, every intmiation of her favor 

 and every monition of her austerity. Living thus in daily asso- 

 ciation with the natural features of a region some of the more not- 

 able will assume a sort of personality in the popular mind, and so 

 come to have place in philosophic thought and religious ritual. 



Throughout the range of the Plains tribes they saw everywhere 

 the Cottonwood, the willow, and the cedar. These trees by their ap- 

 pearance impressed the imagination of the primitive mind. The 

 cedar, appearing to be withdrawn into lonely places, and standing 

 dark and still, like an Indian with his robe drawn over his head 

 in prayer and meditation, seemed to be in communion with the 

 Higher Powers. The willow was always found along the water- 

 courses, as though it had some duty or function in the world in 

 connection with this element so imperatively and constantly needful 

 to man and to all other living forms. The cottonwood they found 

 in such diverse situations, appearing always so self-reliant, sliowing 

 such prodigious fecundity, its lustrous young leaves in springtime 

 by their sheen and by their restlessness reflecting the splendor of the 

 sun like the dancing ripples of a lake, that to this tree also they 

 ascrilied mystery. This peculiarity of the foliage of the cottonwood 

 is quite remarkable, so that it is said the air is never so .still that 

 there is not motion of cottonwood leaves. Even in still summer 

 afternoons, and at night when all else was still, they could ever hear 

 the rustling of cottonwood leaves by the passage of little vagrant 



