The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-09-29
..n,ANs AND RED WILLOW.
d that ID Turned to Various Uses
"o nv the Aborigines.

chat ID Turned to Various Uses
"o by the Aborigines.
n. tho Indians of the great western
80 the red willow, which is only
taund in that country, proves SO very
rsafnl that it's loss would be greatly
as. ~. hr them. 1t is bushy growth,
ioie reaching more than fifteen or
mt feet in height, and is found
S,onr the river banks, where it grows
I'D and in great abundance.
Tha indian most values the red will
low because from its bark ne makes
That to him is a very good substitute
- tobacco. To do this he strips one
- the long, slender shoots of it's leaves,
~ with his knife cuts the bark until
= HANGS from the wood in little shreds.
mha,, he thrusts the stick into the fire,
hnt not so that it will burn, only SO
that the bark will become thoroughly
a,;od When this is done, he carefully
.r,bs # he between his hands until 1t is
orumbled almost to powder.
This willow-bark powder he mixes
with small quantity Of real tobacco,
4 he has any; if not, he mixes it with
the dried and crumbled leaf OF small
and very bitter shrub that grows on
tba mountain sides, and has leaf
looking somewhat like our lockwood.
Tba Indians call it killicanick, and
often mix it with tobacco when they
have no red willow. So fond are the
Indians of this red-willow tobacco that
thew prefer it to the real unmixed ar
ticle which seems to be too strong for
them.
The sauaws use the red willow to
make temporary shelter on wick-i-ups,
which are used instead of the heavy
skin lodges, or tepees, when the In
dams are on the move, and only camp
in one place for a night or so.
When a pleasant spot by some run
ming stream, where there is plenty of
red willow, has been fixed upon for
camping place, and fire has been
lighted, the squaws cut a quantity of
the willow, and, making rude frame
work of the larger branches, of which
the butt ends are fixed firmly into the
ground, and the small ends bound to-
gether to look like small dome, they
weave the smaller branches and twigs
in and out until the whole affair looks
like great leafy basket turned upside
down. The entrance is very low, and
when once inside grown person can
only lie or sit down, for if he should
stand up he would probably lift the
house with him.
While the squaws are building the
wick-i-ups the Indian has been stretched
on the ground, smoking his long
stemmed pipe, with its stone or iron
bowl, or else he has been kneeling
beside the fire preparing his much
loved red-willow tobacco. Over the
same fire is hung jack rabbit, skinned
and spitted upon slender red-willow
stick, and from tree near by the baby
swings in his red-willow cradle.
From the same red willow the squaws
make baskets and mats. On its tender
twigs the ponies browse in winter,
when the grass is covered with deep
snow. And to these same red-willow
thickets the Indians go in winter in
search of deer or antelope, which are
pretty sure to be found browsing
among them.
So you see the Indian has good rea-
son to be fond of the red willow, and |
he breads the approach of white farm
ers, who clear it off from the rich bot
tom lands wherever they locate, for it
s on these lands that they can raise
their heaviest crops of corn. Detroit
Free Press.