42 



INDIANS O] 1 HI. PLAINS 



crop. At other times, they took to tipis. Even in 

 mid-winter the Omaha and Eastern Dakota lived in 

 tipis. 



A unique and exceptional type of shelter was used 



by the Wichita and the related ( 'addoan tribes of the 



Southeastern culture area. This is known a- a grass 

 lodge. It consists of a dome-shaped structure of poles 

 thatched with grass and given an ornamental 

 appearance by the regular spacing of extra bunches of 

 Thatch. Formerly, each of these houses had four doors, 

 east, west, north, and south, and four poles projected 

 from the roof in the respective directions. 



Dress. The men of the Plains were not elaborately 

 clothed. At home, they usually went about in breeeh- 

 cloth and moccasins. The former was a broad strip of 

 cloth drawn up between the legs and passed under the 

 belt both behind and before. There is some reason for 

 believing that even this was introduced by white 

 traders, the more primitive form being a small apron 

 of dressed skin. At all seasons a man kept at hand a 

 soft tanned buffalo robe in which he tastefully swathed 

 his person when appearing in public. This was uni- 

 versally true of all, with the possible exception of some 

 southern tribes. In the Plateau area, the most common 

 for winter were robes of antelope, elk. and mountain 

 sheep, while in summer elkskins without the hair were 

 worn. Heaver -kins and those of other -mall animals 

 were sometimes pieced together. According to ( rrinnell, 

 the Blackfoot, easl <>t' the Rocky Mountain-, also used 

 various form- of robes. Again, the Plateau tribes 



