128 



INDIAN- til I III PLAINS 



Plains is quite peculiar. Formerly, there was Little or 



none of the woven work so eomnion in the Eastern 

 Woodland- and the forestfi of ( 'anada. the method here 

 being to lay the quills on the surface of skins in large 

 geometric areas. The heads now in use were intro- 

 duced by traders and have almost displaced the original 

 art of porcupine quill embroidery. 



Fig. 46. Design Elements, Bead and Quill Embroidery. (Kroeber). 



The most numerous decorated objects in collections 

 are moccasins which therefore offer an extensive design 

 series. Though often examples of each design may 

 be found upon the moccasins in a single tribe, the 

 tendencies are always toward a few tribal types. Thus. 

 the Arapaho predominate in longitudinal stripes 

 (Fig. 45, a-d), the Dakota in definite figures (f, g, in. 

 n, o), the Blackfoot in U-shaped figures (k . etc. 

 Additional designs will be found upon leggings, bags, 

 and pouches. All these designs may be resolved into 

 simple geometrical elements or patterns (Fig. 46). 



