Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-06-07
THE Red MANS HOME LIFE,
SOMETHING ABOUT THE INDIAN OF
THE PRESENT DAY.

The Tepee, Cooking, Treatment of
Children, Ways of Counting, Ideas
of Sickness and Religious Beliefs
A Montana correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Enquirer says that description of
the home life of the Indian of tia present
dag will give the reader the fairest oppor-
tunity to form correct conclusions.
The tepee or lodge is constructed of
from fourteen to twenty-six poles, the tops
of which tied together and the butt ends
resting on the ground inclosing circular
area, the diameter of which ranges from
sixteen to thirty feet. The structure is
covered with one continuous piece of buff
falo skins, nicely fitted together and so
thinly dressed that sufficient light is trans
mitted into the interior, even when the
lodge is tightly closed. Several families
usually live in one of these lodges. Though
each family has its particular part of the
dwelling and the furniture of each is kept
separate, anything like privacy in CONVEX
sation or life is impossible. They sleep in
open compartments with feet toward the
center, where perpetual fire is kept going
for cooking purposes.
The cooking is now done in large iron
kettles, issued by the agents or sold by
the traders, and nearly every article of
food is prepared by boiling. Meat is sell
dom fried. 1t is generally roasted, when
not eaten raw, by hanging on a stick near
the fire. Bread is cooked by frying in
grease. AS Indians can get along very
we'll on meat dried in the sun and such
berries and roots as they can find, it is
easy to comprehend how the Plains In
dians can subsist comfortably upon the
treeless prairies Prior to coming in con-
tact with the whites most of the Indians
used pottery of their own manufacture.
They disdain the use of plates, knives
and forks. In disposing of liquid food
they form with extended thumb and bent
forefnger spoon, which answers all pun
poses. In eating meat they usually take
piece into the left hand and, conveying
it to the mouth and grasping ali end with
the teeth, with dexterity almost alarm
ing, sever the bit to be masticated from
the chunk by means of butcherknife.
Cleanliness is at a discount, though
fortunately most Indians are very fond of
swimming, and will for hours remain in the
water when near a river. The Sioux ,Chey-
ennes and a few other tribes use pOrcu-
pine tails for combs. The Grows dis
pense with combs altogether, and it is on
this account that they are even more
filthy than other Indians.
Home government lies entirely in the
hands 'of the head Of the family, who is a
more pronounced autocrat than the Gar
of Russia.
The children are little looked after
and become independent when emerging
from babyhood, but he who denies the
Indians love and affection for his off
spring is very much in error. The babies
do not cry as much as the white babies;
as rule they are healthier. The Indian
cradle when tied up, is a little coffin
shaped sack with hood-like projection
about the head. 1t is made of cloth or
skins of several thicknesses, always two
at the back, and to this board or a stiff
piece of rawhide is securely fastened to
keep the child's back Gas straight as an
arrow" After being carefully and firmly
tied in the little cradle, the child, as
rule, is only being taken out to be cleaned
in the morning, and again in the evening
Just before the inmates of the lodge go to
sleep. I have seen a baby not two days
old snugly tied up in one of those little
sacks, the latter being suspended from
the pummel of the saddle. Hanging
alongside of the pony, and mother and
child comfortably jogging along, making
a good days march in bitter cold winter,
easily keeping up with a company of cav
airy, whom she was guiding after hostile
Indians. The little fodder soon learns
to ride and shoot, to steal and to lie; the
boys begin smoking when about eight
and torture to graduate into manhood,
when he is named from something that
has happened during his life, from some
accident, some animal killed, or some
bird that helped him to success. Girl
babies usually receive their names soon
after birth.
The Indian in his normal frame Of mind
is happy and contented being; he is
fond of singing, dancing, smoking and
gossiping. There is hardly an hour, day
or night, when in a well-regulated camp
the sound of the monotonous tum-tum to
the step of the light fantastic is not heard
accompanied by the hoarse and shrill
voices of males and females in song.
There are few people on the globe who
smoke as much as the Indians, and GER
tainly few who give to it, in SO great
measure a religious character, making it