Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-03-12

terials are of strictly native origin, no
hint of white mans methods any
where employed. Eagle feathers have
been becoming scarce, but every one
of the feathers in this headdress are
fine large ones direct from that mighty
monarch of the air. Natural dyes make
them gay with color. Many hours of
patient labor went into the wrapping
of the stem of each feather to it's tip
with fine strands also gaily colored.
Ranging from a point above the tenn
pies when worn, dangle a series of
small white furs from which swing
handsome elk teeth. The whole affair
Is made and adjusted to the head In
such a way that the columns of feath-
ers sway majestically backward or for
ward as willed by the wearer.
Among this Indian paraphernalia
are also sets of bows and arrows ex-
| pertly made In accordance with old
time Indian methods.
Probably most interesting Of all in
| this collection is q woman's garment
made by Duncan's wife and which he
cherishes most tenderly. 1t is the reg
ulation native one-piece dress fash
! toned of soft white buckskin fringed
at the sleeves and hemline.
OF particular beauty is the dress yoke
which at first appears to be a solid
mass Of beadwork; but closer inspec-
ton reveals 1t to be of a more pure
and ancient type Of Indian handcraft
than that obtained from the use of
beads, as one will remember, the use
of beads among the Indians is of mod
ern development having been intro
duced by the white a So it Is with
special interest n views the decora-
tons on this garment which are made
from brightly colored porcupine quilts
neatly and painstakingly woven to-
gether. There Is also q belt en-
broidered in like manner as well as
moccasins and gloves.
Old Angus Macdonald, who came
from Scotland when just a lad IN 1888
apprenticed to service in the Hudson
Bay Fur company, had many children
by his pure blood Indian wife. Dur
ing childhood the youngsters were close
under the wing of the mother and &C
companied her on her jaunts with the
tribe to which she belonged. But as
they grew up the fathers influence
became dominant and the children
learned much Of white mans ways.
They were all educated above the aver
age for that day; all have been lovers
of books and intelligent readers and
takers. Descendants Of these brothers
and sisters are scattered all over west
ern Montana, into Idaho, and as far
west as Spokane and Colville into
Canada.
It Is reported that only n OF these
children Of old Angus ever ventured
across the sea to visit the land of his
fathers, but it is stated that the young
err Angus felt very homesick for the
great open spaces and came promptly
back. We a imagine the mutual
curiosity between the cousins!
Always a student Of books and al
fairs, Duncan has also lived IN active
life full Of adventure and has partici-
pated in much of the romantic past OF
western Montana. His first active days
of manhood were spent In the employ
of the Hudson Bay company as their
last agent in the Flathead district, q
Hudson Bay post his father had opened
originally and where Duncan himself
was born in 1849. Later on he vas
concerned with his numerous herds
and his large land holdings. When
the Northern Pacific railroad came
through In 1883 he was their efficient
and trusted scout, also supplying the
company with much Of their meat re-