Omaha Dwellings, Furniture and Implements | Page 5

in the head of a bird,
the neck or handle of each being elevated at an angle of 50° or 60° with
the bowl, which, was about 3 inches in width by about 5 in length. As
the handle of such a spoon usually terminates in a head or hook, it was
impossible for it to slip into the bowl when the hook rested on the
outside of the rim of the bowl.
Food was served in bowls of a very wide and simple form and of
various sizes, generally carved out of large knots of wood. These

served as drinking cups (ni[']i[|c]áta^{n}), but now cups of tin or
earthenware are used for that purpose.
Water Vessels
When pottery was made, they used bowls and kettles. Some used
wooden bowls of different sizes, the largest being about 2 feet in
diameter. When they went on the hunt, they used the ínijeha (or sack
made of the muscular coating of the buffalo paunch, by filling with,
grass to make it stand out and keep its shape until dried). When the
ínijeha was filled with water the mouth was tied, and it was kept
covered and in the shade that it might remain cool. After being used for
a few days it became strong smelling, and was thrown away, another
taking its place. Some preferred the "[t]en[)a]n[']de uq[|c]a[']ha
[|c]a^{n}" or pericardium(?) of the buffalo, which is like sinew. This
does not smell unpleasant, even when used for seven or ten days. But at
the expiration of that time it is unfit for further service.
Jugs have been introduced by the traders.
Other Vessels.
Provision sacks or parflèche cases were made of dried buffalo hide.
When used for carrying the dried meat, they were called weábastá.
After two or three years' use they became soft and were fit only for
making moccasin soles. These sacks had the hair taken off, and were
sometimes made in trunk fashion.
Fruit baskets were of three kinds. The Ponka made them of the bark of
a tree, called tawá[,]a^{n}he, which is found on the old Ponka
reservation in Dakota. Northern Indians make boats of this bark. The
Omaha do not find the tree on their land, so they make the fruit baskets
of other kinds of bark. The three kinds of baskets are as follows:
Na^{n}[']pa ú[|c]is[)e], used for chokecherries; ag[|c]añ[']kamañge
ú[|c]is[)e], used for raspberries; and bact ú[|c]is[)e], used for
strawberries. When the Ponka wished to make the baskets, they
stripped off the bark in horizontal sections, not pulling upward or
downward.

In modern times the Omaha have learned to make sacks of thread of
different colors drawn from black, red, blue, and white blankets.
Different figures are woven. Each sack is about a foot deep, 16 inches
from the mouth to the opposite side, and from 2 to 2-1/2 feet long. The
opening is on one of the long sides, and when the articles are put in a
gathering string is drawn and tied.
Hoes and Axes.
For hoes, the Omaha used the shoulder blades of the buffalo. Axes and
hatchets are now made of iron, hence, the Omaha name,
ma^{n}[']ze-pe, sharp iron. But the Kansa have the ancient name,
ma^{n}[']hi-spe, answering to the Dakota, wa^{n}hi^{n}[']-kpe, sharp
flint. The hatchet is distinguished from the ax by adding "jiñga," small.
Some of the stone axes and hatchets have been found on the Omaha
reservation, but they could hardly have been used for cutting. It is not
known what tools were used for felling trees.
Knives.
Knives were made of stone. A prominent butte, near the old Ponka
agency, Nebraska, is known as "Máhi^{n}-[t]u," signifying blue knife,
from the character of the stone with which its surface is covered. It is
several miles from the mouth of Ponka creek and nearly opposite the
month of Choteau creek, South Dakota.
Implements Connected with Fire.
In former ages, the [|C]egiha made fire by rubbing or turning a stick
round and round between the hands. On the present Omaha reservation,
and in that region, the Omaha use elm roots for that purpose. In the
country called [P]izábahéhe, near the source of Elkhorn river, there is a
grass known as "duáduáhi," which has about a hundred fine shoots
from each root, which is half the size of the head. The stalk was used
for hand drills and fire sticks. One stalk was cut almost flat, and the
man puts his feet on the ends to steady them. Then, holding the other
stick in his hands, with one end touching the stalk on the ground, he
turned it round and round till the friction produced fire. Sometimes a

small quantity of dry sand was placed on the flat stick. The same flat
stick answered for several occasions. When the cavity made by turning
the hand drill