28 



[NDIANS OF I III. PLAINS 



giving the appearance of holes. These steaks were 

 often placed in boiling water for a few moments and 

 then hung upon pole- or racks out of reach of dogs. 

 In the course of a few days, if kept free from moisture, 



the meat became hard and dry. It could then he 

 stored in bags for future use. I at , also, could be 

 dried if slightly boiled. 



Fig. 3. Meat Drying Rack. Blackfoot. 



Dried meat of the buffalo and sometimes of the elk 

 was often pounded fine, making what was known as 

 pemmican. While some form of pemmican was used 

 in many pails of North America, the most characteristic 

 kind among the Plains Indians was the berry pemmican. 

 To make this, the best (aits of the buffalo were dried 

 in the usual manner. During the berry season wild 

 cherries (Prunus demissa) were gathered and crushed 



