﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESHIE] 
  SOCIAL 
  LIFE 
  345 
  

  

  The 
  rapidity 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  women 
  worked 
  was 
  remarkable. 
  In 
  

   jerking 
  the 
  meat 
  men 
  sometimes 
  helped 
  if 
  necessity 
  required. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  people 
  reached 
  home 
  the 
  tanning 
  was 
  done 
  at 
  the 
  con- 
  

   venience 
  of 
  the 
  women. 
  For 
  this 
  process 
  the 
  brains 
  of 
  the 
  slaugh- 
  

   tered 
  buffalo 
  were 
  saved 
  in 
  bladder 
  bags, 
  where 
  they 
  became 
  dry 
  

   and 
  hard. 
  These 
  dried 
  brains 
  were 
  boiled. 
  Then 
  the 
  hard 
  skin 
  was 
  

   stretched 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  and 
  the 
  boiled 
  brains 
  were 
  smeared 
  over 
  

   it 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  brush 
  made 
  of 
  a 
  bunch 
  of 
  wild 
  sage 
  (artemisia). 
  

   It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  artemisia 
  was 
  used 
  to 
  counteract 
  the 
  unpleasant 
  

   odor 
  of 
  the 
  brains. 
  This 
  process 
  was 
  called 
  i'thixthi. 
  If 
  there 
  were 
  

   no 
  brains 
  available, 
  broth 
  from 
  boiled 
  meat 
  was 
  substituted. 
  

  

  Next, 
  the 
  skin 
  was 
  immersed 
  in 
  a 
  stream, 
  weighted 
  down 
  with 
  

   stones 
  and 
  left 
  there 
  over 
  night. 
  This 
  soaking 
  was 
  called 
  washpo 
  n 
  'the. 
  

   The 
  water 
  was 
  wrung 
  out 
  and 
  the 
  skin 
  stretched 
  lightly 
  on 
  a 
  frame 
  

   set 
  either 
  upright 
  or 
  flat; 
  a 
  knife-shaped 
  implement, 
  called 
  we'bamo 
  11 
  , 
  

   was 
  used 
  to 
  press 
  out 
  the 
  remaining 
  water. 
  Dry 
  corn 
  meal 
  was 
  then 
  

   rubbed 
  on 
  the 
  skin 
  to 
  absorb 
  any 
  moisture 
  yet 
  unexpelled. 
  

  

  The 
  final 
  process 
  was 
  called 
  wathi'Tci 
  n 
  de, 
  meaning 
  softening 
  the 
  

   skin 
  by 
  friction. 
  A 
  post 
  was 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  ground, 
  a 
  small 
  sinew 
  

   rope 
  {we'thiki 
  n 
  de) 
  was 
  fastened 
  to 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  loop, 
  and 
  the 
  skin 
  run 
  

   through 
  the 
  loop 
  and 
  pulled 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side. 
  This 
  pulling 
  was 
  

   done 
  inch 
  by 
  inch 
  and 
  was 
  repeated 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  times, 
  making 
  the 
  

   skin 
  soft 
  and 
  pliable 
  for 
  use. 
  

  

  Skins 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  making 
  moccasins 
  were 
  browned 
  by 
  smoke. 
  

   This 
  process 
  was 
  called 
  wana'pithe. 
  The 
  skins 
  for 
  tent 
  covers 
  were 
  

   not 
  smoked 
  but 
  were 
  kept 
  white. 
  The 
  same 
  process 
  of 
  tanning 
  and 
  

   softening 
  was 
  used 
  in 
  preparing 
  robes, 
  except 
  that 
  the 
  hair 
  was 
  left. 
  

   Deer 
  and 
  elk 
  skins, 
  not 
  being 
  so 
  harsh 
  as 
  the 
  buffalo 
  hide, 
  did 
  not 
  

   require 
  as 
  much 
  labor 
  in 
  tanning. 
  The 
  processes 
  employed 
  were 
  

   similar 
  to 
  those 
  above 
  described. 
  

  

  QUILL 
  WORK 
  

  

  Embroidery 
  with 
  porcupine 
  quills 
  was 
  a 
  feminine 
  accomplishment. 
  

   The 
  Omaha 
  women 
  did 
  fairly 
  good 
  work 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  they 
  

   were 
  as 
  expert 
  as 
  the 
  women 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  tribes. 
  The 
  

   following 
  was 
  the 
  Omaha 
  method 
  of 
  preparing 
  and 
  dyeing 
  the 
  quills 
  : 
  

  

  The 
  quills 
  were 
  plucked 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible 
  after 
  the 
  porcupine 
  

   was 
  killed, 
  for 
  if 
  the 
  skin 
  became 
  dry 
  the 
  quills 
  were 
  liable 
  to 
  break. 
  

   The 
  quills 
  were 
  sorted 
  as 
  to 
  length 
  and 
  size 
  and 
  laid 
  in 
  bladder 
  bags, 
  

   the 
  outer 
  or 
  black 
  ends 
  being 
  placed 
  together. 
  The 
  largest 
  quills, 
  those 
  

   on 
  the 
  tail, 
  were 
  kept 
  by 
  themselves 
  and 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  ornamenting 
  

   comb 
  cases 
  and 
  workbags. 
  The 
  long 
  ones 
  of 
  medium 
  size 
  were 
  

   reserved 
  for 
  fine 
  work. 
  The 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  porcupine 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   turkey's 
  tassel 
  were 
  used 
  for 
  very 
  fine 
  embroidery 
  — 
  finer 
  than 
  was 
  

   possible 
  with 
  the 
  quills. 
  Fine 
  quills 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  embroidering 
  the 
  

  

  