INDIANS OF THE PLAINS 



21 



Societies 



and Pawnee. All those tribes raised corn and lived in earth-covered 

 houses of considerable size. A small model of one of these houses 

 stands near the exhibits. 



In the center of this hall is a Blackfoot Indian tipi with paintings of 

 otters on the sides, representing a vision of the owner. This tipi has 

 Blackfoot been fitted up to show the home life of a typical buffalo- 

 Tipi hunting Indian. 



There were numerous soldier soci- 

 eties among the Plains Indians which 

 included practically all 

 the adult males. Each 

 society had a special dance and special 

 costumes. (See the Arapaho cases for 

 costume dances.) There were other 

 dances connected with tribal religious 

 ceremonials, the best known and most 



_ _ important of which is the 



Sun Dance ■ 



sun dance, illustrated by 



a model at the left of the tipi. The 



sun dance was held annually in the 



early summer in fulfilment 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 physical endurance and 



excruciating self-torture, lasting three 



days, during which time the dancers 



neither ate nor drank. 



In the center of the hall is a gen- 

 uine medicine pipe, held in awe by the 

 Medicine Indians and dearly parted 

 Pipe with; also the contents 



of a medicine pipe bundle. The con- 

 tents of another medicine bundle, belonging to a leading man of the Black- 

 foot tribe (medicineman), together with the headdress which he wore in 

 ceremonies, are in a case near the tower. Other remarkable bundles, 

 particularly the skull bundle, are in the Pawnee case, on the north wall. 



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

 their quillwork, which has now been superseded by beadwork. They 

 have a highly developed decorative art in which sun pie geometric 

 designs are the elements of composition, this being one of the most 

 interesting features of their art. (See Dakota case.) [See Handbook 

 Xo. 1, North American Indians of the Plains.] 



PIPE AND TOBACCO BAGS 



Dakota Indians 



