The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-05
PERFECT MODELS
OF INDIAN LODGES
Interesting Collection Illustrating
Their Styles OF Building.
rgrue 80 cue 7 7--7--- -
BARK Ii HOUSE, HOUSE WIGWAM AND TENT.
The Original of the Earth Lodge Model
Was the icu~ohn-to" OF the
Omaha Tribs-InIeres,ing
Descriptions.
CAMBRIDGE. MAS

CAMBRIDGE, MASS, October 26.-One
of the most interesting things to be seem
in the Peabody Museum OF Americam
Archaeology and Ethno!osy at Harvard Is;
Il very perfectly rendered model, about
eight inches high and some twenty-five
inches in circumference, of d typical In
dian earth lodge. 1t is one Of Il group of
models which illustrates the various
styles of indian building. including the
bark house, the deerskin tent and the
mat-covered wigwam. The earth lodge
was distinguished from these, however,
by being It permanent dwelling. and as
such was characteristic of all the aboris-
iral races from the Atlantic ocean to the
Gulf of MEXICO.
Most of these models were secured for
the museum by Miss Alice c.. Fletcher,
who has more first-hand knowledge OF the
American Indian than any other white
woman who ever lived For a number of
years Miss Fletcher has been the holder
of the Thaw fellowship at Harvard, which
was established in 1890 by Mrs. Mary
Copley Thaw, of Pittsburg, in memory of
her husband. with the special object Of
promoting work and research relating to
the Indian race of America" The special
original of the earth lodge model was the
'Mon-ohin-to." or earth lodge of thu
Omaha tribe. by one of the members of
which. an old man who remembered the
ancient ways. it was built up under the
supervision of Miss E. Jane Gay. Miss
Fletcher's constant companion in her
work among the Indians. Pains were
taken To erlhody every detail of proper
ton and construction with the utmost ex-
actness, so that it might be studied by
future archaeologists, when the Indian
earth lodge is entirely a thing OF the past
with as much confidence as if it We're q
genuine survival On one side only a sec
ton of the roof and wall has been left
uncovered to give a more complete idea
| of how the lodges were actually put to-
Gether.
fsa THE OMAHAS.
The Omahas. who have given their
name to the largest city in Nebraska. are
supposed to have occupied the territory
west of, the Mississippi river for about
two centuries, having been pushed west
ward from the Ohio valley. The enci odch-
ments of civilization. the scarcityfof game
or the attacks of hostile tribes from time
to time forced them into nomadic man
ners of life. and obliged them TO MAKE.
their homes in tents or wigwaIns. which
could be moved with all their contents
at the shortest notice. Formerly. how
ever, as Miss Fletcher has shown in her
various writings on the Oma has, they Nv
ed in permanent villages. where perhaps
80 OF. 100 eartfl-covered houses would be
hudded together in a sheltered, valley or
bottom-land in which corn. beans. pump
.sk1ns, .rr,etn4fne.ons could be raised under
Favorable conditions of soil and climate
-srunnias, stream was always near oE.
growing ffmt5er was convenient TO hand.
and the hills which usually surrounded
the settlement furnished q vantage
ground from which lookouts could give
notice of the approach of enemies.
In the construction of the lodges which
composed the villiase the outl"e-il q Ga
with a straight projection en- one side
for the tunnel-like entrance-was care
fully drawn upon the ground. Within
this outline the sod was removed, and
the earth we'll tramplet: by the feet OF
{ the builders to form Il sou flooring.
Around the edge of the floor space was
erected, :, row of poles. close enough TO-
gether to support the walls and the
/ caves. The central fireplace was sur
rounded by a smaller circle of taller roles
to support the upper portion of dome
like roof These poles. both the taller
ones in the inner and the Shorter ones
in the outer circle. usually had a natural
crotch at the upper enc by means OF
which they were connected by hcrizontii
poles, or beams A pyramid of long
poles completed the framework OF tae
roof. and shorter poles r slabs, set cicse
together. formed the basis sfor the wai!s
! The next stage of construction cons sssd
of binding all these poles and slabs hrri-
ly together with willow withes fhen
the structure was closely and regularly
covered with punches of coarse. cred
grass: and finally the whole was coFeref
with snTs. II, n doIIo'e lover, making the
walls about two feet thick.
a circular opening in the middle OF the
roof served for both chimney and win
dow nd skin curtain or blanket hung
at each end nf# the entrance way. wheh
was about eight or ten feet long. answer
ed as double doors TO keen out wind md
/ cold. This ent-ance vas called "i-ha-
ton, and the doors ..rf-zhe-fe. The
central cnanine or chimney wns known
80 TIL" '.'T'f-h'i-ton'' tho fire olace was
tie '.tl-ue-ahe. and the ree-s around
the fire-n1ace wera called "Zhon-gtihe. !.
Both the men and the women were
employed In DEMONSTRATION of the lodges.