North American Indians of the Plains . falo: in the handsof a powerful horseman, this is said to have been quiteeffective. There is a stone-pointed lance in the NezPerce collection wThich may be of the type formerlyused, Fig. 2. Wounded animals and those in theenclosure of the pound wTere often brought down byknocking on the head with stone-headed clubs andmauls. Pemmican. As buffalo could not be killed everyday, some method of preserving their flesh in an eatablecondition wTas necessary to the well-being of the PlainsIndian. The usual method was by drying in the were cut broad and
North American Indians of the Plains . falo: in the handsof a powerful horseman, this is said to have been quiteeffective. There is a stone-pointed lance in the NezPerce collection wThich may be of the type formerlyused, Fig. 2. Wounded animals and those in theenclosure of the pound wTere often brought down byknocking on the head with stone-headed clubs andmauls. Pemmican. As buffalo could not be killed everyday, some method of preserving their flesh in an eatablecondition wTas necessary to the well-being of the PlainsIndian. The usual method was by drying in the were cut broad and thin, and slashed by shortcuts which gaped open when the pieces were suspended, 28 [NDIANS OF I III. PLAINS giving the appearance of holes. These steaks wereoften placed in boiling water for a few moments andthen hung upon pole- or racks out of reach of the course of a few days, if kept free from moisture, the meat became hard and dry. It could then hestored in bags for future use. I at, also, could bedried if slightly Fig. 3. Meat Drying Rack. Blackfoot. Dried meat of the buffalo and sometimes of the elkwas often pounded fine, making what was known aspemmican. While some form of pemmican was usedin many pails of North America, the most characteristickind among the Plains Indians was the berry make this, the best (aits of the buffalo were driedin the usual manner. During the berry season wildcherries (Prunus demissa) were gathered and crushed MATER] \1- CI III RE 29 with stones, pulverizing the pits, and reducing the whole to a thick paste which was partially dried in thesun. Then the dried meat was softened by holdingover a fire, after which it was pounded fine with a stoneor stone-headed maul. In the Dakota collection mayhe seen some interesting rawhide mortars for thispurpose. This pulverized meat was mixed with meltedfat and marrow, to which was added the dried butsticky cherry paste. The whole mass was then packedin a long, flat rawhide bag, ca
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectindiansofnorthameric
