﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  SOCIAL 
  LIFE 
  341 
  

  

  doubtful 
  if 
  flint 
  knives 
  were 
  ever 
  used 
  to 
  cut 
  food 
  when 
  eating. 
  

   Bowls 
  of 
  pottery 
  and 
  of 
  wood 
  were 
  used, 
  which 
  bore 
  the 
  general 
  

   name 
  uxpe'. 
  Gourds 
  sometimes 
  served 
  as 
  cups. 
  The 
  introduction 
  

   of 
  copper 
  or 
  brass 
  kettles 
  and 
  of 
  steel 
  knives 
  made 
  changes 
  in 
  

   domestic 
  life 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  ways 
  lightened 
  the 
  task 
  of 
  the 
  women. 
  

   It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  olden 
  days 
  women 
  had 
  to 
  make 
  and 
  keep 
  on 
  

   hand 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  pottery 
  vessels 
  for 
  visitors, 
  and 
  that 
  when 
  a 
  great 
  

   feast 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  held 
  the 
  kindred 
  and 
  friends 
  of 
  the 
  women 
  came 
  and 
  

   helped 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  necessary 
  supply 
  of 
  dishes. 
  The 
  custom 
  for 
  

   guests 
  at 
  a 
  feast, 
  when 
  not 
  from 
  a 
  great 
  distance, 
  to 
  bring 
  their 
  own 
  

   bowls 
  and 
  spoons 
  may 
  have 
  taken 
  its 
  rise 
  in 
  the 
  pottery-making 
  

   time. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  roots 
  and 
  plants 
  used 
  for 
  food 
  was 
  the 
  ' 
  ' 
  pomme 
  blanche," 
  

   called 
  mi'gthe. 
  The 
  root 
  was 
  dug 
  from 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  plant 
  first 
  

   appeared 
  until 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  fall. 
  The 
  line 
  of 
  march 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  tribal 
  

   buffalo 
  hunt 
  was 
  sometimes 
  determined 
  by 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  this 
  

   desirable 
  plant 
  grew 
  in 
  abundance. 
  It 
  was 
  eaten 
  raw. 
  The 
  dark 
  

   skin 
  was 
  peeled 
  by 
  the 
  help 
  of 
  the 
  teeth; 
  the 
  inner 
  flesh 
  is 
  white 
  

   and 
  though 
  rather 
  tasteless 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  unpleasant. 
  The 
  roots 
  were 
  

   preserved 
  by 
  slicing, 
  and 
  drying 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  sun, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  

   were 
  stored 
  in 
  bags, 
  like 
  the 
  shelled 
  corn. 
  They 
  were 
  cooked 
  by 
  

   being 
  boiled 
  with 
  the 
  meat, 
  particularly 
  the 
  tripe 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo. 
  

  

  The 
  ground 
  nut 
  (Apios 
  tvberosa) 
  called 
  nu, 
  was 
  boiled, 
  then 
  peeled, 
  

   and 
  eaten 
  as 
  a 
  vegetable. 
  

  

  Artichokes 
  (Helianthus 
  tuberosus 
  L.), 
  called 
  po 
  n 
  'xe, 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  

   the 
  early 
  spring. 
  They 
  were 
  eaten 
  only 
  raw 
  and 
  were 
  spoken 
  of 
  as 
  

   the 
  food 
  of 
  homeless 
  boys 
  who 
  had 
  no 
  near 
  relative 
  to 
  feed 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  yellow 
  water 
  lily 
  (Nelumbium 
  luteum), 
  called 
  

   te'thawe, 
  and 
  the 
  bulb 
  of 
  the 
  lily 
  (Sagittaria 
  variabilis) 
  were 
  gathered 
  

   in 
  the 
  spring. 
  The 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  lily 
  was 
  called 
  ri 
  n 
  . 
  It 
  was 
  

   boiled 
  and 
  eaten 
  as 
  a 
  vegetable 
  ami 
  was 
  said 
  to 
  taste 
  like 
  salsify. 
  The 
  

   root 
  was 
  never 
  cooked 
  with 
  meat. 
  It 
  was 
  gathered 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  

   spring, 
  as 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  the 
  bulb 
  became 
  spongy 
  and 
  unpleasant. 
  

   The 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  AmpMcarpsea 
  monoica, 
  called 
  ho"bthi 
  n 
  'abe, 
  was 
  gathered 
  

   in 
  the 
  fall 
  from 
  the 
  storehouses 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  mouse. 
  This 
  little 
  animal 
  

   gathers 
  these 
  roots 
  in 
  large 
  quantities. 
  The 
  Indians 
  kept 
  the 
  roots 
  

   in 
  skin 
  bags 
  during 
  the 
  winter. 
  Before 
  boiling, 
  the 
  outer 
  skin 
  was 
  

   removed 
  by 
  rubbing 
  the 
  root 
  between 
  the 
  palms 
  of 
  the 
  hands. 
  The 
  

   flesh 
  is 
  whitish 
  before 
  cooking 
  and 
  reddish 
  afterward 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  sweetish 
  in 
  

   taste 
  and 
  very 
  nutritious. 
  

  

  Slippery-elm 
  bark 
  was 
  used 
  for 
  flavoring. 
  Small 
  bunches 
  were 
  

   dropped 
  into 
  fat 
  that 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  cooking. 
  

  

  A 
  milk 
  weed 
  or 
  silk 
  weed 
  (Asclepias 
  syriaca 
  L.), 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  

   Omaha 
  as 
  waxiha' 
  , 
  was 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  vegetable. 
  The 
  tender 
  shoots 
  were 
  

   cut 
  and 
  boiled 
  ; 
  sometimes 
  corn 
  and 
  meat 
  were 
  added 
  to 
  give 
  flavor. 
  

  

  