6 1 INDIANS 01 i m. PLAINS 



to its form and position. On the other hand, objects 



tied in a Blackfoot's hair were almost certain to have a 



charm value. So far as we know, among all tril>e<. 

 object- placed in the hair'of men usually had more than 

 a mere aesthetic significance. 



Head- tor the neck, ear ornaments, necklaces of 

 claws, scarfs of otter and other fur, etc.. were in general 

 use. The face and exposed parts of the body were 

 usually painted and sometimes the hair also. Women 

 were fond of tracing the part^line with vermilion. There 

 was little tattooing and noses were seldom pierced. 

 The ears, on the other hand, were usually perforated 

 and adorned with pendants which among Dakota 

 women were often long strings of shells reaching the 

 waist line. 



Instead of combs, brushes made from the tails of 

 porcupines were used in dressing the hair. The most 

 common form was made by stretching the porcupine 

 tail over a stick of wood. The hair of the face and 

 others parts of the body was pulled out by small tweezers 



Industrial Arts. Under this head the reader may 

 be reminded that among most American tribes each 

 family produces and manufactures for itself. There is 

 a more 4 or less definite division between the work of men 

 and women, but beyond that there is little specializa- 

 tion. The individuals are not of equal skill, but still each 

 practised practically the whole gamut of industrial arts 

 peculiar to his sex. This fact greatly increases the im- 

 portance of such arts when considered as cultural traits. 



