Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 60
No. 2 is the dress of a wood hunter, ordinary warrior in winter, if we
take away the blanket and substitute a buffalo robe; or it is worn in
traveling, and is occasionally used by hunters in the Crow and Sioux
Nations, but the Cree and Assiniboin mostly wear No. 1 winter on the
plains. Other ordinary dresses are only variations of the foregoing,
adding some articles and withdrawing others, but none of them are used
when in full dress, on public occasions, among themselves, except
sometimes No. 5. All their fancy dresses for dances, war, and feasts
have their peculiar marks and distinction in rank; also the robes
worn by chiefs, soldiers, or warriors in stated assemblies have their
battle scenes painted on them in rude drawings, though intelligible to
them. When merely designed to be ornamental the drawing consists of a
representation of the sun, made by a large brilliant circle painted in
the middle. Sometimes a calumet is pictured, and other devices, such as
guns, bows, lances, horses, etc.
The dresses of the divining men are not distinguished from those of
ordinary Indians by any marks, unless they are able and wish to renew
the remembrance of their former coups on their enemies by wearing a
robe on which they are drawn, but being generally old they seldom make
any display in dress, though wearing a cap or piece of bearskin round
the head is common with them. The rest of their clothing in summer
would answer to No. 1 and in winter to No. 2, abstracting the blanket
capot.
WOMEN’S SUMMER DRESSES
NO. 1
Dressed cowskin cotillion 1 robe
Leggings of same ½ robe
Dressed cow or elk-skin robe 1 robe
Moccasins 0 robe
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2½ robes at $3=$7.50
NO. 2
Colored blanket 4 robes
Blue or scarlet cloth dress 3 robes
Garnishing of beads on same 5 robes
Scarlet cloth leggings ornamented with beads 2 robes
White deerskin moccasins worked with beads 1 robe
Heavy bead earrings and necklaces 4 robes
Brass-wire wristbands and rings 1 robe
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20 robes at $3=$60.00
NO. 3.—CROW INDIANS
Fine white dressed elk-skin robe 1 robe
Fine white bighorn skin cotillion adorned with 300
elk teeth 25 robes
Neck collar of large brass wire 1 robe
Fine antelope skin leggings worked with porcupine
quills 3 robes
Brass wire wristbands and rings 1 robe
California shell ear ornaments 3 robes
Very heavy bead necklaces 3 robes
Moccasins covered with beads 2 robes
--------
39 robes at $3=$117.00
NO. 4.—SIOUX
Fine white dressed elk skin robe, painted 1 robe
Fine white dressed antelope skin cotillion heavily
ornamented with beads or shells on breast and arm 30 robes
Leggings of same ornamented with beads 3 robes
Bead or wire necklace 2 robes
Garnished moccasins and brass breast plate 1 robe
Ear bones 3 robes
--------
40 robes at $3=$120.00
NO. 5.—COMMON SIOUX, ASSINIBOIN, OR CROW DRESS
White blanket 3 robes
Blue cloth cotillion or green cloth 2 robes
Scarlet cloth leggings 1 robe
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6 robes at $3=$18.00
NO. 6.—WINTER DRESS
Buffalo robe 1 robe
Dressed cowskin cotillion 1 robe
Dressed cowskin leggings and shoes 1 robe
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3 robes at $3=$9.00
NO. 7.—WINTER DRESS—CROWS
Buffalo robe much garnished with porcupine quills 4 robes
Big Horn cotillion trimmed with scarlet and
ornamented with porcupine quills 3 robes
Leggings of elk skin, fringed and worked with quills 2 robes
Wrist, ear, and neck ornaments, say 3 robes
--------
12 robes at $3=$36.00
There are many other dresses worn, differing in cost according to the
ornaments or labor bestowed on them, and the foregoing are varied
with their fancy and means; some therefore would cost high and others
merely a trifle. Those of mounted warriors, for dances, soldiers, etc.,
are still more valuable owing to the war eagle feathers and other
decorations. It is difficult to determine the cost and durability of
each costume. The cost has been stated, but every Indian can dress
only according to his means, which, if sufficient, will adorn his
clothing with ornaments to a great extent; but if limited, he must be
contented with such materials for covering as are yielded by the skins
of the animals that furnish him with food; consequently every shade
and variety of dress is visible among them. Some portions of these
dresses are only worn on occasions, while others are retained all the
time, and wear out the sooner. As an ordinary rule, Indians, both male
and female, renew their clothing of European manufacture every spring,
though the portions discarded are cut up for leggings, breech flaps,
hunting caps, gun wadding, etc.
It may be said to last six months if worn while hunting, or a year if
only used at times, in traveling and while idle, as is comparatively
the case in the summer season. A complete suit of skin will last the
whole year round, its actual cost being only the labor of dressing, and
as time in the summer is of no value to them it may be said to cost in
reality nothing if not ornamented. Blankets and cloth are not damaged
by wet but do not resist the cold. Skins are impervious to cold and
wind but are destroyed by being wet, hence the necessity and advantage
of wearing the one in summer and the other in winter, independent of
the filthy nature of skins when long worn, and of the capability of
woolens to be cleansed by washing. The dress of a mounted warrior (pl.
76), as in battle or in the dance, would be as follows, the cost being
estimated as before:
MOUNTED WARRIOR’S DRESS
Buffalo robe painted with battle scenes and garnished with porcupine
quills; best; 6 robes $18.00
Skin shirt and leggings garnished with human hair and porcupine
quills, valued at 1 horse or 10 robes 30.00
War-eagle feather cap, largest kind; price, 2 horses, 10 robes each 60.00
Necklace of bear’s claws wrought on otter skin, 6 robes 18.00
Feathers of the war eagle on shield, lance, and horse, 10 robes 30.00
Garnished moccasins, 1 robe 3.00
Shell ear ornaments, 4 robes 12.00
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Total 171.00
Another fancy dress would cost as follows:
Scarlet blanket, 4 robes, at $3 $12.00
Beads on same, 10 robes 30.00
Skin shirt and leggings garnished with porcupine quills and trimmed
with ermine, 20 robes 60.00
Bear’s-claw necklace, 6 robes 18.00
Soldier’s cap of magpie feathers, tipped with red and fringed with
ermine, 10 robes 30.00
Brass-wire arm bands, 3 robes 9.00
Eagle feathers on lance and shield, 6 robes 18.00
Shell ear ornaments and moccasins, 4 robes 12.00
------
Total 189.00
Both of the above dresses are principally of their own manufacture;
yet if a trader wishes to purchase them he has great difficulty in
doing so, even by paying the above prices in merchandise, of which
they always stand in need; indeed, they seldom can be induced to part
with them on any terms unless forced to sell to supply some reverse by
loss of property which has happened to their families. The reason is
that they are scarce, difficult to replace, and also it is the wish of
the warriors to wear them during their lives on all public occasions
and to be clothed with them when they die. Two tails of the war eagle
of 12 feathers each would be worth two horses if wrought into a cap,
or something more than a horse without. Usually the value of the tail
feathers of this bird among any of the tribes of whom we write is $2
each in merchandise in this country, or 15 feathers for a horse.
Ten ermine skins will also bring a horse among the Crow Indians, and
100 elk teeth are worth as much, there being but two teeth in each elk
which are suitable, and the tail feathers of the war eagle are the only
ones used. The elk are not killed in great numbers by any one hunter,
so that much time and bargaining are required for an individual to
collect 300, the number usually wrought on a Crow woman’s dress. The
eagles are scarce and difficult to catch; hence the value of these two
ornaments.
The men in their homes in their own country at night divest themselves
of their moccasins, leggings, and blanket capot (if any), retaining
only the breech flap, and covering themselves with their robe or
blanket; but when traveling, at war, in the chase, or encamped on the
borders of their enemy’s country no portions of clothing are taken
off at night; even their arms and accouterments are retained while
sleeping. In the summer season the women lay aside their leggings
and moccasins when going to bed, reserving only the petticoats, or
cotillion, as it is called in this country, and covering themselves
with the robe, but in the winter, or in traveling, no part of their
clothing is taken off. Young unmarried and as yet untouched women take
the precaution at night to wind around their dress a strong cord,
strapping the same tightly to their body and legs.
This is done by some of their female relatives, the cord being well
tied and wrapped around many times to prevent the consequences of any
mistakes on the part of young men as to the location of their bed,
which might happen if they entered during the night, or if they were
guests. It is considered a great credit to a young woman never to have
slept unbound as above previous to marriage. Saddles, billets of wood,
and parts of clothing taken off serve as pillows for the men. Provision
bales, wooden bowls, and baggage sacks answer the same purpose for
the women. Rawhides, saddle blankets, apishimos,[34] skins in hair,
with grass and twigs beneath form the bed, which is seldom longer than
two-thirds the sleeper, and about 3 feet wide.
[34] This appears to be a word adopted from the Cree or Chippewa language. It means anything to lie on, as a bed.
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