Omaha Dwellings, Furniture and Implements | Page 9

used for killing fish,
deer, and small game.
[Illustration: Fig. 326.--Omaha war arrow.]
The war arrow (b) differed from that used in hunting in having
a barbed point, which was very slightly attached to the shaft, so that if
it penetrated the body of an enemy it could not be withdrawn without
leaving the point in the wound.
[Illustration: Fig. 327.--Omaha style of hidé-[t]áce]
Children used the hidé-[t]áce, or target arrow, when they began to learn
the use of the bow. With this a boy could kill small birds and animals.
The Ponka used to make arrowshafts (ma^{n}sa) of ja^{n}-[']qude-hí,
"gray wood," juneberry wood, which grew in their country, but is not
found among the Omaha. Most of the Omaha made their shafts of the
ma^n'saqtihí, or "real arrow-wood," (Viburnum) as that was the

wood best suited for the purpose. Sometimes they were made of
chokecherry wood; and Joseph LaFlèche informs me that he has made
them of ash and hickory.
Arrowshafts were held lengthwise directly in a line with the eyes of the
workman, who sighted along them to see if they were straight. If one
was bent, he held one end of it between his teeth, while he pressed
against the rest of it with his hands. They were polished by means of
the polishers, or ma^{n}[']-[|c]iq[|c]áde, two pieces of sandstone, each
of which had a groove in the middle of one side. These grooves were
brought together, and the arrow was drawn between them.
War arrows had crooked lines drawn along the shafts from the points to
the other ends, down which, so I was informed by the Indians, it was
intended that the blood of a wounded foe should trickle.
Arrowheads (máhi^{n}-sí), when made of flint, as at the first, were
called "i^{n}['][,][(e] mahi^{n}sí," stone arrowheads. In more recent
times, they were manufactured of pieces of sheet iron; as, for example,
hoops of pails and barrels.
Arrow cement (hi^{n}[']pa), for attaching the heads to the shafts, was
usually made from the skin taken off a buffalo or elk head. This was
boiled a long time, till ready to fall to pieces. When the gelatinous
matter forming the cement rose to the top of the water, a stick (called
hi^{n}pá-ja^{n}jiñ[']ga) was thrust in and turned round and round,
causing the material to be wrapped around it. When cooled it was
smoothed with the hand. Then the act was repeated till a large quantity
was collected on the stick. When needed for use, it was warmed by
placing either in the mouth or in hot water. The skin of the big turtle
was also used for making cement.
A set of arrows were called, collectively, "ma^{n}wi^{n}[']da^{n}." A
set generally consisted of ten arrows, but the number varied; sometimes
there were two, four, or even twenty. When a man had arrows left in his
quiver, he compared them with that which was in the slain animal.
When he had none left, he appealed to some one who knew his style of
arrow.

There were no clan or gentile marks on arrows. One set was
distinguished from another by the order of the paint stripes on them, by
the kind of feathers used, by the mode in which the arrowheads were
made, etc. The Oto made bad arrows; those of the Pawnee were better,
but they were inferior to those made by the Dakota, Ponka, and Omaha.
The feathers, half-webs generally, put on arrows were those of the
eagle, buzzard, wild turkey, great owl, and goose. Sometimes hawk or
crow feathers were employed.
Quivers.
Quivers (ma^{n}[']jiha) for men were made of buffalo hide; but boys'
quivers were made either of otter skins or of the skins of cougars, with
the tail of the animal hanging down from the upper extremity. A skin
case was attached to the quiver for carrying the bow when not in use.
The wrist was defended from the percussion of the bowstring by the
leather wristguard or áqande-[p]a.
Shields and Armor.
Shields ([t]aháwag[|c]e) were made of the hides of buffalo bulls. They
were round and very thick, reaching to the waist of the bearer. Arrows
did not penetrate them. Joseph La Flèche never heard of the use of
defensive armor, such as helmet and mail, among the Omaha and
Ponka.
He had heard of a Pawnee who made a coat from four elk skins, two
forming the front and two the back. Between each pair of skins was
placed sand. A helmet was made in like manner. It covered the back of
the head and extended over the forehead, coming down as far as the
eyes. When the Pawnee noticed an arrow coming toward him, he
bowed his head forward.
Firearms.
Firearms were introduced among the Omaha prior to 1819, when
Dougherty says that they preferred those called