Omaha Dwellings, Furniture and Implements: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Beaurau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 263-288Dorsey, James Owen
History
Omaha Dwellings, Furniture and Implements: Thirteenth Annual Report of the Beaurau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution 1891-1892, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1896, pages 263-288
Dorsey, James Owen
Omaha Indians
For pillows they used ibehiⁿ or iⁿbehiⁿ. When the vegetation was about 3
inches high in the spring, the Indians killed deer and pulled off the
hair in order to remove the thin skin or tissue next to it. This latter,
when thoroughly dried, is smooth and white, resembling parchment. It was
used for pillows and moccasin-strings. When used for pillows the case
was filled with goose feathers or the hair of the deer until it was
about 2 feet long and 9 inches high. During the day, and whenever there
was occasion, they were used as seats; but if none could be had, the
people sat on winter robes or hides forming the couches.[1] Back of the
couches and next to the interior tent-poles were placed the baggage,
sacks of corn, and other household properties.
The upright tent is one form of the Dakota "wake′ya," the plural of
which, "wake′yapi," undoubtedly gave rise to the familiar "wick′iup" of
the plains, and also to "wä-ka′-yo" of Morgan.[2]
Cradles.
A board of convenient size, usually about a yard long and a foot wide,
was selected to form a cradle or u¢uhe. No pillow was needed. A soft
skin ([p]aq¢uqaha ¢aⁿ) covered with plenty of thick hair was laid on the
board, and on it was placed the infant.
[Footnote 1: Hammocks and bedsteads were unknown prior to their
introduction by the traders and other white people.]
[Footnote 2: Contributions to North American Ethnology, vol. iv., 1881,
p. 114.]
[Illustration: Fig. 311.--Omaha cradle--plan.]
In the annexed figures, <i>a</i> is the ĭndua¢isiⁿkaⁿhe, the object painted
on the board at the end where the infant's head is laid; <i>b</i> is the
ĭndei¢idĭndiⁿ ("that which is drawn taut over the face"), the two
strings of beads and sinew or thread (sometimes made of red calico
alone), which keep in place the fan, etc.; the fan (ĭndeagani), which is
suspended from a bow of wood, (<i>c</i>) is about 6 inches square, and is
now made of interwoven sinew on which beads have been strung. Occasionally
thimbles and other bright objects dangle from the bottom of the fan. The
i¢a¢istage (<i>d</i>) is the band by which the infant is fastened to the
cradle.
[Illustration: Fig. 312.--Omaha cradle--side view.]
Children's Swings.
For swings the ends of two withes of buffalo hide were secured to four
trees or posts which formed the corners of a parallelogram. A blanket
was thrown across the withes and folded over on them. The infant was
laid on top of the fold and swung from side to side without falling.
Brooms.
Brooms were of two kinds. One form was made of sticks tied together, and
was used for sweeping the ground outside of the tent or earth lodge, and
the interior of the earth lodge, except the fireplace. The other kind
was made of goose or turkey feathers, and was used for sweeping the
fireplace of an earth lodge.
Pottery.
Pottery has not been made by the Omaha for more than fifty years. The
art of making it has been forgotten by the tribe.
Mortar and Pestles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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