256 THE MENOMINI INDIANS tBTH.ASK.14 



"worm" fences. Sometimes vertical stakes are planted, saplings and 

 branches being then entwined until the fence forms a veritable hedge. 



FURNITURE AND IMPLEMENTS 



BEDS 



The recesses on each side of the longitudinal passageway of the 

 Menomini wigwam are utilized for beds and bedding. Sometimes the 

 ground is covered with pine boughs, over which the blankets and other 

 bedding are thrown; but when the structure is to be occupied for a 

 longer period than that covered by the sugar-making, or if the wig- 

 wam is intended to remain for more than one season, then a permanent 

 platform, resembling a trundle bed, is erected, as shown in figure 35. 

 Whenever possible, boards are laid across the head and foot poles of 



this primitive bedstead, thus making 

 a comfortable platform on which to 

 deposit and arrange the bedding and 

 robes. 



These beds consist of four short 

 crotched poles, which form the legs, 

 and on these are laid other poles to 



Fig. 35— Bedstead of saplings. . .... .. ... ., , 



give it the ordinary size in length and 

 breadth, though this frame is only from a foot to a foot and a half from 

 the door. Over the bed frame are placed boards or slats, upon which 

 straw bags and a mattress are laid. 



In some houses may be found an abundance of mosquito netting, for 

 mosquitoes in the Menomini country are very annoying, especially in wet 

 seasons. The material is placed over the bedstead as well as over the 

 floor bedding, where children or the men sleep, and the windows and 

 doors also are sometimes covered with it. 



STOVES 



Modern stoves are now used by nearly all the Menomini ; but if these 

 get out of order or beyond their control, the women resort to the cus- 

 tom in vogue before the whites came, of building a fire outdoors and 

 suspending over it the kettle. 



UTENSILS 



Most of the dishes which they now use are made by the whites, though 

 a few wooden spoons and ladles of native make are occasionally used 

 by them. Musselshells also were formerly used as spoons, and their 

 knives and axes were of stone. The Indians agree in the statement 

 that the making of stone weapons' was discontinued by them four 

 generations ago. Shu'nieu remembers hearing the old people speak 



■During; a tour of Nevada and Arizona in 1871, the writer saw stone arrowpoints and knives still in 

 use by t he Chemehuevi and Walapai and by the Apache at Camp Apache. The arrowpoints used by 

 the Apache :ii that ti were made by themselves, and a number of specimens then obtained consisted 



i'i ■ le it. obsidian, and bottle-glass, and a single speei n was ■•! :_ r "l<l quartz. Arrowpoints fashioned 



freiu hoop-h were also in use at that time. See pages 281-284. 



