GILMorE] INFLUENCE OF FLORA 57 
months, Wazchushtecha-sha-wi, Red Strawberry moon—i. e., the 
moon (lunar month) when strawberries are red ripe, the name of 
the month of June in the Dakota calendar. 
The prevalence of certain plants often gave origin to place names. 
As examples of such names may be cited the Omaha name of Logan 
Creek, tributary of the Elkhorn River, 7aspa"-hi-bate-ke (meaning 
river where clumps of Crataegus are). Another instance is the Omaha 
name of Loup River, which is Vu-ta"-ke (river where nw abounds). 
Nu is the Omaha name of Glycine apios. The Omaha name of Little 
Blue River is M/aa-ozhi-ke (river full of cottonwoods, maa). 
The character of the flora of a region has its effect on the style 
of architecture. The tribes of the eastern woodlands had abundance 
of timber for building, so their houses were log structures or frames 
covered with bark. In Nebraska, where the forest growth was very 
limited, the dwelling was the earth lodge, a frame of timbers 
thatched with prairie grass and covered with earth. 
A people living with nature, and largely dependent upon nature, 
will note with care every natural aspect in their environment. <Ac- 
customed to observe through the days and the seasons, in times of 
stress and of repose, every natural feature, they will watch for every 
sign of the impending mood of nature, every intimation of her favor 
and every monition of her austerity. Living thus in daily asso- 
ciation with the natural features of a region some of the more not- 
able will assume a sort of personality in the popular mind, and so 
come to have place in philosophic thought and religious ritual. 
Throughout the range of the Plains tribes they saw everywhere 
the cottonwood, the willow, and the cedar. These trees by their ap- 
pearance impressed the imagination of the primitive mind. The 
cedar, appearing to be withdrawn into lonely places, and standing 
dark and still, like an Indian with his robe drawn over his head 
in prayer and meditation, seemed to be in communion with the 
Higher Powers. The willow was always found along the water- 
courses, as though it had some duty or function in the world in 
connection with this element so imperatively and constantly needful 
to man and to all other living forms. The cottonwood they found 
in such diverse situations, appearing always so self-reliant, showing 
such prodigious fecundity, its lustrous young leaves in springtime 
by their sheen and by their restlessness reflecting the splendor of the 
sun like the dancing ripples of a lake, that to this tree also they 
ascribed mystery. This peculiarity of the foliage of the cottonwood 
is quite remarkable, so that it is said the air is never so still that 
there is not motion of cottonwood leaves. Even in still summer 
afternoons, and at night when all else was still, they could ever hear 
the rustling of cottonwood leaves by the passage of little vagrant 
