80 BUREAU OF AIMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 195 



They (ibid., p. 43) also mention that a subdivision of the ^ixida clan 

 symbolically painted the "pipes" used in the Wd-wqute. Little dec- 

 orative art was observed among the Northern Pouca. The Southern 

 Ponca, however, still make fine beadwork, and especially good work 

 is done on Peyote "feathers," gourd handles, and staffs. Curiously 

 enough, Peyote beadwork is done by men. However, the beadwork 

 used on dancing costumes is stUl made by the women, as is traditional. 



Representative artwork was usually done by men. Reahstic 

 designs of horses, bison, and dancing men were painted on tipi covers, 

 shields, and robes. If, as often happened, a woman wished to use a 

 representative design in her beadwork, she would ask a male relative 

 to sketch it for her, then follow his sketch in her beading. 



At least one Southern Ponca, Andrew Snake, was still doing 

 silverwork in the old Woodland-Plains tradition in 1954. His 

 principal customers were Osage "straight" dancers, for whom he 

 produced armbands and neckerchief shdes. He also informed me 

 that he made an occasional "wedding bridle" for an Osage. 



PLC mentioned that formerly childi'en sculptured clay figures 

 of horses, bison, dogs, birds, and humans, using clay from a slough 

 located 2 miles west and 2 miles south of Niobrara, Nebr. Clay 

 figures of this type have appeared in archeological contexts in Ne- 

 braska, one site being the Yutan site, 25SD1, which is identified 

 with the historic Oto-Missouri. In these clay figures, as in the 

 petroglyphs mentioned earher, "visions" seem to have inspired the 

 individual artist. Thus, one Ponca boy is said to have made a 

 perfect model of an airplane many years before aircraft had been 

 invented. This occurrence is still remembered and thought of as 

 xube (supernatural) by some elderly Ponca. 



Music was an art in which the Ponca excelled, and it is stiU a vital 

 part of Southern Ponca culture. Ponca singers are in great demand 

 at powwows throughout Oklahoma, and at least three Ponca men 

 support themselves almost entirely by "following the powwow 

 circuit" as singers. The musical instruments used by the Ponca 

 aboriginally were drmns of various sorts; gourd, rawhide, and deer-hoof 

 rattles; eagle-bone and cedar whistles; and cedar flutes. 



The drum was used principally in connection with the voice, to 

 accompany dances and ceremonies. Rattles also were used in this 

 manner, especially in sacred rituals. Vvhistles of eagle bone were 

 used in the Sun dance, and, according to PLC, in the Heduska as 

 weU, although cedar w^histles were usually employed in the latter. 

 Nowadays an eagle-bone whistle is used in the Peyote ceremony. 

 The Indian flute was used in courting. It was the only Ponca instru- 

 ment that was not connected with some dance or ceremony and was 

 used solo. OYB was the last Ponca flute-maker and player among the 

 Ponca. By 1954 he had ceased to play his instrument, though 2 



