﻿348 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  [ETH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  also 
  wove 
  bags, 
  which 
  were 
  generally 
  made 
  from 
  broad, 
  short 
  scarfs, 
  

   doubled 
  and 
  sewed 
  together 
  at 
  the 
  sides. 
  These 
  bags 
  were 
  used 
  by 
  

   men 
  as 
  receptacles 
  for 
  ceremonial 
  objects, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  bags 
  of 
  

   different 
  sizes 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  pack 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Shell 
  society 
  of 
  

   which 
  the 
  old 
  chief 
  Big 
  Elk 
  was 
  the 
  keeper. 
  (See 
  p. 
  554.) 
  Women 
  

   made 
  use 
  of- 
  these 
  woven 
  bags 
  for 
  various 
  purposes. 
  They 
  had 
  also 
  

   bags 
  of 
  deerskin 
  to 
  contain 
  their 
  sewing 
  materials 
  — 
  sinew, 
  awl, 
  and 
  

   bladder 
  cases 
  containing 
  dyed 
  porcupine 
  quills. 
  

  

  Necklaces 
  of 
  beads 
  were 
  woven, 
  the 
  different 
  colored 
  beads 
  being 
  

   arranged 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  elaborate 
  patterns 
  (pi. 
  47; 
  Peabody 
  Museum 
  

   no. 
  27551.) 
  The 
  short 
  necklaces 
  which 
  were 
  tied 
  about 
  the 
  throat 
  

   were 
  woven 
  on 
  horsehair. 
  The 
  longer 
  ones 
  woven 
  on 
  thread 
  were 
  

   worn 
  about 
  the 
  neck, 
  being 
  allowed 
  to 
  hang 
  down 
  in 
  front. 
  

  

  The 
  loom 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  

   Omaha 
  women 
  was 
  a 
  

   very 
  simple 
  device. 
  The 
  

   strands 
  forming 
  the 
  warp 
  

   were 
  fastened 
  at 
  each 
  end 
  

   to 
  a 
  stick 
  slightly 
  longer 
  

   than 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  

   scarf 
  or 
  necklace 
  to 
  be 
  

   woven; 
  a 
  thong 
  was 
  at- 
  

   tached 
  to 
  each 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   sticks 
  holding 
  the 
  warp 
  

   and 
  by 
  these 
  thongs 
  one 
  

   stick 
  was 
  fastened 
  to 
  a 
  

   post 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  one 
  

   to 
  the 
  woman's 
  belt. 
  

   She 
  sat 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  stretch 
  the 
  threads 
  

   of 
  the 
  warp 
  taut 
  and 
  then 
  

   wove 
  the 
  woof 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  design 
  she 
  desired 
  to 
  produce. 
  

   The 
  different 
  weaves 
  and 
  patterns 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  Omaha 
  women 
  are 
  

   shown 
  in 
  the 
  illustration 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  bags 
  of 
  their 
  manufacture 
  

   (figs. 
  114-116, 
  118, 
  120, 
  121). 
  To 
  weave 
  the 
  long 
  necklaces 
  required 
  

   considerable 
  counting 
  and 
  careful 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  beads 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  produce 
  the 
  chosen 
  design. 
  

  

  Ropes 
  for 
  lariats 
  and 
  cords 
  were 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  nettle 
  ( 
  Vrtica 
  gra- 
  

   cilis 
  Ait.), 
  which 
  was 
  gathered 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  when 
  dry. 
  The 
  liber 
  was 
  

   separated 
  from 
  the 
  woody 
  part 
  by 
  pounding 
  between 
  stones 
  and 
  was 
  

   then 
  braided. 
  The 
  native 
  name 
  for 
  the 
  plant 
  was 
  ha'nugahi. 
  The 
  

   fiber 
  was 
  called 
  mi'no 
  n 
  zhiha, 
  "maiden's 
  hair." 
  When 
  the 
  hemp 
  rope 
  

   was 
  introduced 
  by 
  traders 
  it 
  was 
  given 
  the 
  same 
  name. 
  Lariats 
  were 
  

   also 
  made 
  in 
  former 
  times, 
  of 
  buffalo 
  hair. 
  Such 
  ropes, 
  usually 
  of 
  

   eight 
  strands, 
  were 
  called 
  taha'thici 
  n 
  . 
  Few 
  knew 
  how 
  to 
  braid 
  them. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  72. 
  Hairbrushes. 
  

  

  