66 USES OF PLANTS BY INDIANS [ETH. ANN. 33 
PoackAE 
SPARTINA MICHAUXIANA Hitche. Slough Grass. 
Sidu-hi (Omaha-Ponca). 
This plant, which grows in all the swales of eastern Nebraska, 
was used as thatching to support the earth covering of the lodges in 
the permanent villages. 
SavAsTANA oporATA (L.) Scribn. Sweet Grass. 
Wachanga (Dakota. ) 
Pezhe zonsta (Omaha-Ponea). 
Manuska (Winnebago). 
Kataaru (Pawnee). 
Sweet grass is found in northeastern Nebraska, and more abun- 
dantly northward and eastward. It was used for perfume and was 
burned as an incense in any ceremony or ritual to induce the pres- 
ence of good influences or benevolent powers, while wild sage, a 
species of Artemisia, was burned to exorcise evil influences or malevo- 
lent powers. It was an essential element in the objects used in the 
Wawan ceremony of the Omaha and Ponca. According to J. Owen 
Dorsey, wachanga is one of the plants used in connection with the 
sun dance.? : 
On Palm Sundays old Dakotas, members of the church, when they 
have received palms at the church, carry them home and tie sweet 
grass with them when they put them up in their houses. At the 
present time, it is said, some of the old people still carry sweet grass 
to church for the Palm Sunday service. This is from the old-time 
association of sweet grass with sacred ceremonies and things holy. 
When Chief Welkie, of the Pembina band of the Chippewa tribe, 
made a treaty of peace with the Dakota tribe the ceremony included 
the smoking of a pipe of tobacco mixed with sweet grass. This was, 
no doubt, with the idea of summoning all good powers as witnesses 
and helpers in concluding the desired peace. 
Panicum vircatum L. Switch Grass. 
Hade wathazhninde (Ponca). 
On the buffalo hunt, in cutting up the meat the people were careful 
to avoid laying it on grass of this species in head, because the glumes 
of the spikelets would adhere to the meat and afterwards would stick 
in the throat of one eating it. . 
Stipa sparTeaA Trin. Porcupine Grass, Spanish Needles, Needle 
Grass. (PI. 2:) 
Mika-hi (Omaha-Ponea), “ comb plant ” (mika, comb). 
Pitsuts (Pawnee), “hairbrush”; or Paari pitsuts, Pawnee hair- 
brush. 
1Siouan Cults, p. 454. 
