imes
buffalo bladders were used for this purpose. The women used them as
receptacles for their porcupine quills.
[Footnote 1: See "Omaha Sociology," Third Ann. Rept. Bur. Ethnology,
chap. vi.]
occasions is shown in figure 316. This pipe has a bowl of catlinite, and
the stem is decorated with horsehair.
[Illustration: Fig. 316.--Omaha pipe used on ordinary
occasions.]
Equipage for Horses.
Saddles (canakag[|c]e) were in use before the coming of the whites. They
were made of wood, around which was wrapped hide, while still
"[t]aha-nu[k]a" (green or soft). According to Joseph La Fleche these
saddles did not rub sores on the backs of the native horses (Indian
ponies), but Dougherty[1] said, in 1819, "The Indians are generally
cruel horse-masters, perhaps in a great measure through necessity; the
backs of their horses are very often sore and ulcerated, from the
friction of the rude saddle, which is fashioned after the Spanish
manner, being elevated at the pummel and croup, and resting on skin
saddle cloths without padding." They ride very well, and make frequent
use of the whip and their heels, the latter being employed instead of
spurs.
For bridles and halters they used strips of hide, out of which material
they made also lariats. The bridle used consisted of a withe, one end of
which was wrapped two or three times around the animal's lower jaw,
while the other was held in the hand, forming but a single rein. This
did not hinder the rider from guiding his horse, as he was able to turn
him to the left by pressing the single rein against the animal's neck,
as well as by the use of the right heel against its side. When he wished
to turn to the right, he pulled the rein and pressed his left heel
against the horse's side.
Whips were of three kinds. The wahi wegasapi was attached to a bone
handle. The handle of a ja^{u}[']uke[|c]i^{n} wegasapi was made of
common wood. That of a za^{n}zi wegasapi was made of Osage orange wood,
which is very hard. The whip was attached to the wrist by a broad band,
which passed through a hole near the end of the handle. The handle was
about 15 inches long and was very stout. A specimen that has been
deposited in the National Museum (a gift to the author from an Omaha)
has a lash 2 feet long, composed of 8 thongs one-fifth of an inch wide.
These are plaited together in one rounded plait for 18 inches, the rest
of the lash being in 2 plaits of 4 thongs each, knotted near the ends.
|