42 



YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE 



[Vol. III. 



fairground. They usually hold the fair in the latter part of August 

 and display their fancy stock and produce, native arts and crafts. 

 Such a fair takes a year's preparation, which time is devoted to fabri- 

 cating enough material to make a good showing. There is a ball 

 diamond and lacrosse field with bleachers, where, on Sunday, ball 

 games are held or a series of Indian dances given. 



People come for miles to see the Indian dances and games. They 

 perform several kinds of dances, including one latel}' introduced from 

 Oklahoma and called the "Squaw Dance," in which men and women 

 dance together, as shown in figure 20. Many of the older members of 



Fig. 20. — Ojibwe squaw dance at Fair Grounds. 



the tribe resent the introduction of the squaw dance. It has always 

 been the custom for the women to remain in the background at any 

 of the old time dances and for them to take equal part in a dance, 

 seems out of place. Those participating usually bedeck themselves in 

 all of their native finery and now-a-days wear many ornaments that 

 are not of Chippewa origin. They use two types of drums, the large 

 dream-dance drum and, at the games, a tambourine-shaped drum 

 that is suspended in the hands and beaten with a smaller drum stick. 

 The songs differ considerably for the various games. 



