The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-10-08
INDIAN BABIES CRADLES.
Various Modes Of Wrapping Up the
Little Red Skins So That
They Thrive.

Fancy a tiny c0ppef-coiOreo pappOose
buckled up snugly in queer buckskin
bag that resembles nothing in nature SO
much as the coy cocoon cradle OF
| baby butterfly, and then draw upon
your Imagination still further, pictur-
ing this odd receptacle swinging from
the leafy canopy of an Indian wieklup
or brush arbor. and you have before
you an Indian baby and his wonderful
cradle, says the Los Angeles Times.
Gorgeous yellow butterflies and
brown Kiowa babies are seldom linked
together in song or story, yet in real life
their Wrappings, while in the chrysal1s
state, bear remarkable resemblance
to each other.
! The cocoon cradle proper and its va
rious. notifications as found among the
different tribes of North American In
dians are constructed from the skins
Of animals. And right here we may
pause and trace the origin of another
family nursery rhyme to the Indian
1 cocoon cradle. For did not the father
of Baby Bunting go a-hunting to get
a little rabbits skin to wrap that myth
babies are born into the Philo-li-yo-ye,
or Rabbit Circle, and are taught to
dance in the mysterious Circle Of Rab-
lbits as soon as they learn to toddle,
belonging to the Rabbit Order of kiowa
soldiery.
Hence a rabbit skin would be very
appropriate wrapping for Kiowa Baby
Bunting. though neither large enough
nor strong enough for his cradle. The
red deer Of the forest, quarry of the
red-skinned hunter, gives of his beau
/ tiful covering to make the cradle that
is to- swing from the treetop, literally
| treetops cut from the eottonwoods and
elms that fringe the clear little streams
tripping through the Kiowa reservation.
and piled high on framework of poles.
to serve as summer parlor' in front
OF his fathers tepee.
| The crude deer hide is carefully
dressed by a tedious and secret process
known only to these Indians, and when
finished is as soft and plant as the
most expensive chamois skin. Then
loving fingers skillfully embroider with
iquills beautiful beadwork designs upon
the delieate1y tinted deerskin. Kiowa
Icradles are more ornamental than those
of other tribes, and Kiowa squaws excel
| in that marvellous Indian beadwork now
the popular fad Of their paleface sisters.
Some of this beadwork embroidery is
not only very beautiful, but very alabo-
Irate. The Sioux squaws. who alone
rival their Kiowa sisters, ornament the
cradles of their little ones with bands
of deerskin upon which are wrought,
in colored beads, gorgeous patterns OF
linen, horses. birds. fish and flowers. In
Istead of a wooden framework, they sub
Istitute basketwork frame of reeds and
sometimes they use seed and grasses
INSTEAD of beads
TIE Cheyenne. Apache and Comanohe
Indians all use cocoon cradles, pat
termed after the KioWa cradles, but
theirs are not ornamented as elaborate
| 1y as those of the Kiowas In truth. the
grim and warlike Comanche of the
plains wastes very little time in deco
rating the receptacle of his offspring.
A stout piece Of deersfin, fastened to
an equally stout wooden frame and
/ laced up securely with rawhide thongs,
Isuffces his simple need.