380 



USES OF PLANTS BY THE CHIPPEWA INDIANS [eth. ANN. 44 



the lengthened proportions of these dolls and the small bodies which 

 were well adapted to the grasp of a little hand. This was the more 

 advantageous among a people who moved frequently from one camp 

 to another. In these migrations it was necessary for a child to keep 

 possession of its own toys. 



The outer covering of cat-tail rushes was formed into toys repre- 

 senting human beings and ducks. (PL 51, a.) The latter were 

 usually made in groups of five. They were placed on the surface of 

 smooth water, and the child agitated the water by blowing across 

 it, which caused the ducks to move in a lifelike manner. 



Little figures were made of tufts of the needles of the red pine 

 or " Norway pine," by cutting across the needles at different lengths 

 to represent the arms and the hem of the dress. (PL 51, b.) These 

 little figures were placed upright on a sheet of birchbark or, better, 

 on a piece of tin, which was gently agitated in such a manner that 

 the figures appeared to dance. Considerable skill could be shown 

 in producing a motion of the figures. 



Grass was used in the making of dolls, as noted, and also in the 

 making of a game implement. The purpose of the game was to toss 

 up the little bundle of grass and catch it on the pointed stick. In 

 the " ring and awl " game the ring was of wood. Numerous other 

 toys and game implements were made of wood. 



A "coaster" was made of slippery elm bark (pi. 52, «), a stiff 

 piece of bark being selected, turned up at the end, and a piece of 

 stout twine attached to this portion. A child stood on this with one 

 foot, held the twine in its hand, and coasted down hills in winter. 



The down of the cat-tail rushes was put around an infant in its 

 cradle board, and sometimes put inside a child's moccasins for addi- 

 tional warmth in winter. Sometimes it was mixed with moss for 

 added warmth. 



Three types of uses of sweet grass were noted among the Chip- 

 pewa — i. e., ceremonial, economic, and pleasurable. 



An instance of the first use occurs in the narrative of a hunting in- 

 cident in which a party of men placed sweet grass on the fire when the 

 camp was in danger of starving and they were going again to hunt. 

 The use of incense is more characteristic of the Plains Indians than of 

 Algonquian tribes. 10 



Medicine men kept sweet grass in the bag with their medicinal 

 roots and herbs. 



Strands of sweet grass were made into " coiled basketry " by means 

 of cotton thread. This took the form of bowls, oval and round, and 

 of flat mats. Birch bark was sometimes used as the center of such 

 articles, the coils of sweet grass being sewed around it. 



10 See Handbook of American Indians, Bull. 30, Bur. Amer. Ethn., pt. 1, p. 604. 



