RADIX] MATERIAL CULTURE 119 



It might be said that all recollection of the making of wooden 

 vessels could easily have been lost in the last century or two and 

 that therefore too much weight should not be given to present igno- 

 rance of the subject. There are a number of reasons, however, why 

 ignorance in this particular case might be significant. First, many 

 indications point to workmanship of a low order among the Winne- 

 bago in the manufacture of artifacts; second, there are many sug- 

 gestions of two cultural strata in this tribe; third, while the Winne- 

 bago in Wisconsin still use wooden vessels, many of them claim that 

 these were introduced; and fourth, all the informants who gave this 

 information were old people. If the author were to hazard an hy- 

 pothesis, it would be the following: In very early times few objects 

 were fashioned out of wood, but gradually contact wdth the Menomi- 

 nee led to the introduction of many wooden vessels, and finally the 

 acquisition of European axes, knives, and other implements made 

 it possible to manufacture such vessels in large numbers. A similar 

 explanation was offered by an Indian with regard to the use of 

 dugouts. 



Besides wood as a material for dishes and spoons of various kinds 

 and sizes, shells were utilized, while sticks served as knives. 



All informants agree that neither bone nor stone were used in the 

 manufacture of utensils. 



For cooking, clay pots were used. These vessels, most of which 

 were very large, with round bottoms, always hung over the fire. 

 The material used in their manufacture was blue clay found at 

 Green Bay, on or near the site of St. Paul, Minn., mixed wth 

 shell shards, glue from sturgeon vetrebrse, and the gelatinous sub- 

 stance in the horns of the deer. The addition of these ingredients 

 greatly increased the cohesiveness of the clay. The material was 

 either molded with the hands or in holes of the desired shape dug in 

 the ground and lined with leaves. Finally, the vessels were dried over 

 a slow fire in small kilns constructed for the purpose. None of the 

 clay vessels were provided with handles. Some were ornamented 

 with geometric patterns. The irregular incised designs on some 

 Winnebago vessels are the impressions of grass blades \\ith which 

 the mold was lined.' 



Fire making. — In former times fire was always made by means of 

 a simple fire drill. This method is still used for ceremonial occasions. 



Tanning. — The author never witnessed the process of tanning. 

 The description obtained agrees exactly with that of Mr. A. Skinner 

 here quoted :* ^ 



After the skin has been removed, the hair is scraped from it. During this process 

 the skin is hung over an obliquely inclined log, one end of -which has been smoothed 



' Oneinformant gave a descriptioD of pottery makingin which a wheel was used, but as no other Winne- 

 bago corroborated this statement the author is convinced that it is inaccurate. 

 ' Anthr. Papers Amer. Mus. Xat. Hist. pi. iv, pt. n, pp. 289-290. 



