50 INDIANS OF THE PLAINS. 



leather 1;< onets with Long tails usually seen in pictures 

 were exceptional and formerly permitted only to a few 

 distinguished men. They are most characteristic of 

 the Dakota. Even a common eagle feather in the hair 

 of a Dakota had some military significance according 

 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 tribes, 

 objects placed in the hair of men usually had more than 

 a mere aesthetic significance. 



Beads for the neck, ear ornaments, necklaces of claw-, 

 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 tail- 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 

 ether 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 



