The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-08-22
Ousssns and Charaeserissics OF the
ffr SiuOx.

Customs and Charaeserissies OF the
dlt rsiI.l ~, siuox. rf ~.
Y The Sioux at present arc more num-
erous than any other family Of North
J American Indians. Together they
number not less than 30, 100, and up TO
1906 fifty OF their living chiefs had
been photographed. The Sioux, with
the exception OF a certain characteris-
tic lankncss like all other American In-
dians, Is physically well made. He il
tall, muscular, and capabls of enduring
any amount of fatigue and privation.
His forehead is narrow and retreating,
though backed by a massive head. His
face is broad in proportion to its length
the breadth being caused by the high
cheek-bones. His eyes are small,
black, and piercing; nose prominent,
somewhat aqmline AMI widespread,
lips tbin,1 aud chin somewhat promi-
neut. The complexion is uniformly a
clear, pink. sh brown or copper color.
The women are much more inclined to
fatness than the men. and while the
latter are very tall the former are
usually the reverse. Though as rule
the females are ugly, good faces and
forms are not wanting among them.
Both sexes are addicted to the prac-
tice of eradicatiug from their persons
all hair except that of tho hea l. They
sometimes tattoo, though of late this
practice has fallen into disuse. Paint,
however, on stated occasions is still
used in pr ofusion. Formerly il was
custom with young men to cut the rim
of the ear from top to bottom, thus
forming sort of loop, which, by means
OF weights or wires, was gradually
drawn down, in some cases even to the
shoulders. To this loop ornaments of
various kinds were cons eniently ap-
pended. They also sometimes pierced
the septum of the nose, decorating il
with hollow bones, feathers, quills. or
any other material which happened to
strike them rs ornamental.
Their food consists principally of
game, though the Indian corn aud n
small variety OF beans are cultivated by
them, and afford additional means OF
subsistence. In former times their
principal mode of cooking was by roast
ing. All kinds of birds, beasts and
reptiles were esteemed as food, and
even the larva of some species of in
sects. Though when discovered they
possess h the art of manufacturing YES
s0ls Of clay, in which they sometimes
cooked, it is not impossible that at
some period of their existence they
boiled by immersing heated stones in
vessels OF water containing the ingre-
dients to be cooked. The Assiniboines
n dissenting tribe of the Sioux, have
this practice. 1t was not uncommon
for them to cook an animal in its own
skin or pouch. This was done by dig
ging hole in the earth into which the
skin was pressed, being firmly secured
with pegs around the edge. Water
was then poured in, and to this joints
OF the meat, berries, roots and seeds
were added. Into the whole few hot
stones were dropped until the mass was
sufficiently cooked or rather heated for
the red mans palate. If, when a meal
OF this mush was concluded, any re-
mained, and it was desirable to preserve
1t, the sediment was pressed into balls
slightly ilattened. and these, roasted in
the ashes or dried in the sun, consti-
tuted their bread or cake. Their bev.
erages consisted Of the broths Of meats
and fermented liquors prepared from
the juices of fruits, from maple sugar,
from preparations of starch of seeds.
A preparation known as k'nick k'nick,
and formed of tobacco, sumac leaves,
and the outer bark of the red willow,
constituted their smoking material. At
present -tENay have sai,stltuted Tor their
rude vessels OF clay and their still more
primitive boiling hollows, the metal
vessels Of the white man. The more
civilized OF them use to a limited ex-
tent -four and pork. In addition TO
their own mildly intoxicating liquors.
they have adopted the rum and foul
whisky of the frontiers. Cakes and
coarse bread were also prepared from
the meal of the Indian corn and other
seeds, formed into a paste, and baked
either on hot stones or in the ashes.
The Indian delicacy, marrow, was pre-
pared for eating by roasting the larger
bones, breaking the ends and splitting
them. IL was eaten while still hot,
being sucked from the cavities or
scooped out by means Of rude spoons
horn, wood or bone. The smaller
bones were comminuted by means of
large stone mauls and boiled until the
medular matter rose TO the surface;
this was SKINNED off and poured into
large intestines or pouches, and thus
preserved for future use. Berries,
bone, canned meats of all kinds, and
roasted insects, pounded together, con-
stituted a very serviceable pemmican,
which was used during long journeys
and on hunting excursions. These
methods OF preparing food, together
with some of the foods themselves.
though still surviving among many of
| the Sioux, are or have been going
somewhat into disuse. Another prep
aration much used by men and hunting
parties was the perfumed sagamite or
roasted corn-meal and maple sugar.
Though their habitations consist
principally OF tents Of dressed buffalo
skin, originally the Sioux, like the
Manduns, Gros Nentres and Arikarees,
nsed to some extent more substantial
dwellings, consisting OF conical huts of
! poles, thatched over with bark aud
earth. This form, however, never pre-
vailed among them. In summer the
women rarely wear anything on the
head, and the men wear only ornament
cd head-dresses. In former times a
much priced head ornament consisted
of n small, fat bone, with lines cut 10
represent the head OF bnffalo, behind
which was placed, according to the
rank of the wearer, two or more sock
cts for eagles qnills. The whole was
surmounted with tuft or crest Of dyed
buffalo hair. Such ornaments were
placed ON the shaved head, Immediate
| ly in front Of the scalp-lock. Chiefs
sometimes wear head-dress of feath-
ers, made by connecting in long row
a large number of turkey or eagle quilts
in such a way that they would form a
tapering line from one end TO the other
This made fast TO a sort of hood or cup
with long pennant tail, and hung
gracefully from the crest to the feet.
1 Nnnln ,,an.lo frnnn thn hnala Of animal =