Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-03-29

sickness and misfortune, suggest an
interesting field for investigation.
These designs and the makeup OF
the medicine bundles were always Sc
cured through dreams, after long fast
ing and solitary communion with ma
ttlre. They thus became, by right OF
discovery, the exclusive property Of
their owners, who might transfer them
70 others, but there could be no dun
ncages. When a painted lodge became
worn out, a new one, with the same
decorations could take its place. but
sne owner must destroy the original,
Sacruicing 1t to the sun by Spreading
II upon lake and sinking it beneath
the waters.
Among the Grows, Blackfeet ana
FlatheadS the painting of lodges and
otner use OF paints were in such gene
erai use that the procuring and pre-
parlng OF paints was a business in
itseli, and the Indians who attended
70 this feature Of tribal life were
called paint gatherers.
Inc paints were dug from the
ground at various places. Yellow and
Diack were found at certain places
along the Marias river. The yellow
clay was first worked into a dough-
IKE mass and then roasted on a hot
lne OF Goals, when 1t became a red
powder. This was called the sacred
RED paint and was used in ceremonials.
Black was made from charred wood
Inc green was IN some instances sa-.
cured from large lake northeast of
Inc sweet Pine hills. It was made from
the scum taken from the surface Of
tne water and dried. Another source
of yellow paint was a place on tbe
Yellowstone river near some warm
springs.
Years ago there was a large camn
OF Blackfeet at these springs. Some
of them had made a tunnel into
nigh cut-bank and were hard at work
getting out yellow paint. One old
woman, who made a speciality Of
pants, was digging, while about so
women with their paint bags were
waiting outside. Suddenly the old
woman called from the cave that her
arms were caught. She was frightened
and said she wanted to come out An
indian, seated on a butte not far awaV
shouted to them that the bank was
caving IN. At first 1t came slowly. and
men WIN such rush that the women
couIo not escape. They were all buried
beneath great masses of earth. AL
most all of the women were caught
Inc Indians worked night and dav To
uncover them, but many were taken
out dead
The Yellowstone river of the In
dlans, from where they obtained their
S known as the Yellowstone today.
put was the stream flowing from the
Little Belt mountains into the Judith
Known as Wolf creek on maps of to-
Jay. It was called so from the fact
That near its head there were caves
containing large deposits of yellow
LAY. These caves were deep and
here was much peril in securing the
Yellow paint from their depths, as
shown in the incident above.
The danger in securing material
rom these caves came also from the
acts that all Of the tribes, east and
vest, were constantly battling for the
light TO get this valuable coloring ma
ertal. 1t was always disputed ground.
md there were battles fought on Wolf
;reek as fierce as any that ever were
vaged over buffalo hunting grounds
,etween the Missouri and what is
low called the Yellowstone
Somewhere between the ridge back
# East Helena and Townsend there
vas a deposit of vermillion which
rave the Indians much of their red
,aint. This was also disputed ground
nd there was continual combat sover
he right to this iron clay. These
lights were not as fierce as those on
Wolf creek, however, for the location
vas outside of the regular Blackfeet
md Crow country.
The Flatheads used to get their
reen paint mostly from deposit on
he South Fork of the Blachfoot, near
lincoln gulch. It was in all probable
~ copper strain, as 1t lies in
Upper region.
DELICATE BUT TOUGH
l.