Denio] THE ASSINIBOIST 577 



them along in traveling. Should an aged person of this description 

 die in camp the body would be wrapped in the skins composing its 

 bed and stuck on a tree by some of the men, without the least symp- 

 tom of mourning. The life of the aged of both sexes, even with 

 their own children, is one of drudgery and misery, and when en- 

 tirely heljiless they are in a manner obliged to get rid of them in 

 some way. as their manner of traveling and conveniences of lodging 

 are not adapted to the infirm. 



A very near and correct view of their means and disposition war 

 rants the opinion that it is more through extreme necessity than 

 hardness of heart that they resort to the inhuman alternative above 

 mentioned. Age without power is never venerated even by sedentary 

 Indians, though these can and do treat the infirm better than 

 the roving tribes, because, being better prepared with commodious 

 lodges and not obliged to travel, the burden of useless and aged per- 

 sons is not so much felt. They are therefore tolerated for their 

 talents in story telling and other qualifications, exciting more their 

 laughter than their abuse or neglect. But it is always a hard fate. 

 The others will say they have had their day, their youth, and their 

 prime, have enjoyed much and should now die and remove the bur- 

 den of their care. They all know and expect this to be their own 

 fate if life be prolonged, and hence we find the influence of chiefs, 

 once renowned, declining with age or debility. Their gallant acts 

 and services are forgotten or laughed at, later incidents of the 

 same nature replacing theirs in the memory of their friends; they 

 are neglected, ridiculed, imposed upon, and, being helpless, submit. 



It does happen with some divining men that the older and uglier 

 they become the more they are feared for their supernatural powers, 

 and these, as long as they can sing and drum, are well off, because 

 they can always command property for their services and pay their 

 way for any attention or assistance, besides their supposed super- 

 natural powers prevent any practical jokes or petty torments from 

 being inflicted as on ordinary aged persons. 



There are but few old people of either sex. Their lives are too 

 laborious, precarious, and exposed to secure an advanced age.'- 7 



Lodges 



The lodges of the Sioux, Crows, Assiniboin, Cree, and Blackfeet are 

 made of buffalo skins, hair shaved off and dressed, then sewed to- 

 gether in such a manner that when placed upright on poles it pre- 

 sents the form of an inverted funnel. The skins are dressed, cut out, 

 and the lodge made up altogether by the women. When cut and 



27 There is some tautoloey in treating the foregoinc subject of death and its incidents, 

 but it could not be helped without omitting some portions of the subject. 



