4C8 BURKAU OF AMF.KICAX KTUNOLOCY [liii-i.. ci 



tlicsc as a boy, but had never used them. (2) His father used arrow 

 points of bone, made from the outer thickness of ribs or marrow 

 bones. (3) He himself used arrow points of steel. It was the 

 custom in his hunting days to cut arrow points from the thin fr>nng 

 pans sold by traders or used by the soldiers. Feathers used on the 

 arrows were not confined to any one kind. Some used feathers of 

 the prairie hen, owl, or chicken hawk that were large enough to 

 split, while othere used the smaller feathers of the eagle or buzzard. 

 Wliite Hawk said that after splitting a feather lie held one end in his 

 mouth and "scratched it carefully with a knife to smooth it." Tliree 

 feathers were fastened to each arrow. Glue was placed under the 

 feathers and mulcj- the arrow point, both being fastened by wrappings 

 of deer sinew. 



It was said that a good bow would send an arrow into a buffalo so 

 that the arrow point was iml^edded in the flesh, an excellent bow 

 would drive it in almost to the fcuthei', while njine bow would send 

 the same arrow clear through the animal. 



The proper hnigth for a man's ])iiffal() arrow was the distance on 

 the outside of his arm from the elbow to the end of the tliird finger, 

 plus the length of his hand from the wrist to the large knuckle of 

 the third finger. It was the intention to make the arrow as light as 

 possible, therefore the woods preferred for the shaft were juneberry 

 (wi'pazukahu) and wild currant iwica' garmskahu) . These were so 

 flexible that if a buffjilo fell on an arrow, the latter bent without 

 breaking. Thus the arrow could be recovered and used again by its 

 owner. 



Certain Hnes were cut in the shaft of an arrow "to make it go 

 straight." A straight line about an inch long was cut in the shaft, 

 extending downward from the point of attachment of the feather. 

 Then the graving tool was held firmly in the hand while the shaft 

 was moved sidewise, so that the line became wavy. At a distance of 

 about 3 inches from the arrow point the shaft was held stiU so that 

 a straight line was again secured. White Hawk said that the proper 

 manner of cutting these lines was "the result of long experience," 

 and that an arrow would not move in a direct course without them. 



After fastening the arrow point and the feathers, and cutting the 

 Unes, the maker used a pair of small whetstones in pohshing the shaft. 

 These were said to be composed of a certain kind of stone found in 

 the Black Hills, wliich was rather soft. A groove was cut in each 

 whetstone, the grooves being of such size that when the stones 

 were fitted together, the opening formed by the two grooves was 

 the diameter of the arrow shaft, wliich was poUshed by mo\nng 

 the stones to and fro. In order that the surface of the arrow shaft 

 might be kept clean the whetstones were brushed with buckskin after 

 being used and were then carefully wrapped in the same material. 



