M) 



jxn/.ws OF 'I UK I'Lmss 



Blackfoot 

 Tipi 



Societies 



cliicl' food, and hiiftalo skill tli('>- made into «i;arinciit-. In some cases a 

 l)uri'alo |)aunch was used for cooking and hulTalo horns were made into 

 various iniplcnicnts of industry and war. 

 The sj)irit of the l)utTalo wa^ considcnMl a 

 ))oW('rful all\' and invoked to cure sickness to 

 ward otT evil and to «;ive aid in the hunt. 

 W'lienever tlie hufTalo herds led the way. 

 the more noina(nc IMains trilx's moved tlieir 

 tents and followed. With the extermina- 

 tion of the hutValo the entire life of the 

 Plains Indians was revolutionized. 



In the center of this hall is a g^Miuine 

 Hlackfoot Indian tipi with i)aintin<2;s of otters 

 on the sides. This tipi he- 

 lons^'d to a medicine man of 

 that tril)e, who claimed to 

 have miraculous assi.stance from the otter. 

 There were numerous societies among the 

 Plains Indians whicli included practically all 

 the adult males. Each society 

 had a special dance and special 

 costumes. There were other dances con- 

 nected with tribal religious ceremonials, 

 the ])est known and most important of which 

 is tlie sun dance illustrated by a model at 



the left of the X\\)\. The sun dance was held annually 

 in the early sununer in fulfillment of a vow made during 

 the preceding winter by some member of the tribe who wished a sick 

 relative to recover. The dance involved great i:)hysical endurance 

 and excruciating self-tortur(\ lasting three days, during which time the 

 dancers neither ate nor drank. 



In the center of the hall is a genuine medicine pii)e, held in awe by 

 the Indians and dearly parted with; also the contents 

 of a medicine pipe bundle. The contents of another medi- 

 cine bundle, belonging to a learned man of the tribe (medi- 

 cine man), together with the headdress which he wore when visiting the 

 sick, is in a case near the tower. 



The Plains Indians are noted for their picture writing on skins and for 

 their (juillwork which has now been superseded l)y beadwork. They have 

 a highly developiMl decorative art in which simple geometric designs are 

 the elements of composition, this being one of the most interesting 

 features of their art. (See Handbook Xo. 1. North American Indians 

 of the Plains.l 



A bcadt'cl inotL-a.-sin Jroiu the 

 ndiansof the Plains (Gros Ventre). 



Medicine 

 Pipe 



