﻿98 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  Leth. 
  axx. 
  2 
  1 
  

  

  inner 
  circle 
  about 
  the 
  fireplace. 
  The 
  slender 
  ends 
  were 
  cut 
  so 
  as 
  

   to 
  form 
  the 
  circular 
  opening 
  for 
  the 
  smoke, 
  the 
  edges 
  being 
  woven 
  

   together 
  with 
  elm 
  twine, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  firm. 
  Outside 
  the 
  woodwork 
  of 
  

   the 
  walls 
  and 
  roof, 
  branches 
  of 
  willow 
  were 
  laid 
  crosswise 
  and 
  bound 
  

   tight 
  to 
  each 
  slab 
  and 
  pole. 
  Over 
  the 
  willows 
  a 
  heavy 
  thatch 
  of 
  

   coarse 
  grass 
  was 
  arranged 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  shed 
  water. 
  On 
  the 
  grass 
  was 
  

   placed 
  a 
  thick 
  coating 
  of 
  sod. 
  The 
  sods 
  were 
  cut 
  to 
  lap 
  and 
  be 
  laid 
  

   like 
  shingles. 
  Finally 
  they 
  were 
  tamped 
  with 
  earth 
  and 
  made 
  

   impervious 
  to 
  rain. 
  The 
  entrance 
  way, 
  6 
  to 
  10 
  feet 
  long, 
  projected 
  

   from 
  the 
  door 
  and 
  was 
  built 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  the 
  lodge 
  and 
  

   formed 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  it. 
  A 
  curtain 
  of 
  skin 
  hung 
  at 
  the 
  inner 
  and 
  one 
  at 
  

   the 
  outer 
  door 
  of 
  this 
  entrance 
  way. 
  Much 
  labor 
  was 
  expended 
  on 
  

   the 
  floor 
  of 
  the 
  lodge. 
  The 
  loose 
  earth 
  was 
  carefully 
  removed 
  and 
  the 
  

   ground 
  then 
  tamped. 
  It 
  was 
  next 
  flooded 
  with 
  water, 
  after 
  which 
  

   dried 
  grass 
  was 
  spread 
  over 
  it 
  and 
  set 
  on 
  fire. 
  Then 
  the 
  ground 
  was 
  

   tamped 
  once 
  again. 
  This 
  wetting 
  and 
  heating 
  was 
  repeated 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  times, 
  until 
  the 
  floor 
  became 
  hard 
  and 
  level 
  and 
  could 
  be 
  easily 
  

   swept 
  and 
  kept 
  clean. 
  Brooms 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  brush 
  or 
  twigs 
  tied 
  

   together. 
  Couches 
  were 
  arranged 
  around 
  the 
  wall 
  in 
  the 
  spaces 
  

   between 
  the 
  posts 
  of 
  the 
  framework. 
  These 
  were 
  provided 
  with 
  

   skins 
  and 
  pillows 
  and 
  served 
  as 
  seats 
  by 
  day 
  and 
  as 
  beds 
  by 
  night. 
  

   In 
  the 
  building 
  of 
  an 
  earth 
  lodge 
  the 
  cutting 
  and 
  putting 
  on 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  sods 
  was 
  always 
  done 
  by 
  women, 
  and 
  as 
  this 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  task 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  accomplished 
  

   rapidly 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  drying 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  

   sods, 
  which 
  must 
  hold 
  well 
  together, 
  kindred 
  

   helped 
  one 
  another. 
  The 
  erection 
  of 
  this 
  

   class 
  of 
  dwelling 
  required 
  considerable 
  labor, 
  

   hence 
  only 
  the 
  industrious 
  and 
  thrifty 
  pos- 
  

   sessed 
  these 
  lodges. 
  

  

  Near 
  each 
  dwelling, 
  generally 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  

   of 
  the 
  entrance, 
  the 
  cache 
  (fig. 
  17) 
  was 
  built. 
  

   This 
  consisted 
  of 
  a 
  hole 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  about 
  

   8 
  feet 
  deep, 
  rounded 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  

   sides, 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  neck 
  just 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  admit 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  a 
  

   person. 
  The 
  whole 
  was 
  lined 
  with 
  split 
  posts, 
  to 
  which 
  was 
  tied 
  

   an 
  inner 
  lining 
  of 
  bunches 
  of 
  dried 
  grass. 
  The 
  opening 
  was 
  pro- 
  

   tected 
  by 
  grass, 
  over 
  which 
  sod 
  was 
  placed. 
  In 
  these 
  caches 
  the 
  

   whiter 
  supply 
  of 
  food 
  was 
  stored; 
  the 
  shelled 
  corn 
  was 
  put 
  into 
  skin 
  

   bags, 
  long 
  strings 
  of 
  corn 
  on 
  the 
  cob 
  were 
  made 
  by 
  braiding 
  the 
  

   outer 
  husks, 
  while 
  the 
  jerked 
  meat 
  was 
  packed 
  in 
  parfleche 
  cases. 
  

   Pelts, 
  regalia, 
  and 
  extra 
  clothing 
  were 
  generally 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  cache; 
  

   but 
  these 
  were 
  laid 
  in 
  ornamented 
  parfleche 
  cases, 
  never 
  used 
  but 
  

   for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  17. 
  Common 
  form 
  of 
  cache. 
  

  

  