Men tattooed their “whole bodies.” They painted themselves in solid
colors and with designs in red, black, yellow, blue, and other colors.
The body was adorned with native jewelry, the nose and ears were pierced
for ornaments, and feathers of many colors were worn attached to the
scalp lock. Moccasins were decorated with porcupine quill embroidery.
Men clipped or shaved most of the head, leaving the scalp lock and four
other tufts of long hair, two on each side, one in front of and behind
each ear. After European trade goods were available, glass beads and
cloth were obtainable in considerable quantities and largely replaced
native dress materials and ornaments.
The Illini played lacrosse, an athletic game. The straw-and-bean game
was a game of chance in which the players each took a number of straws
from a bundle. The straws in each hand were discarded by sixes, the
number left determining the winner of the round. Beans were used as
counters. The Illini made wagers as to the outcome, even putting up
their sisters as stakes in the game.
[Illustration: Fig. 36. Shapes of Illini pots (Middle Mississippi
ware) reconstructed from sherds found in association with other
native and European objects on the Illini village site near mouth of
Kaskaskia River, Randolph County. (B.B.)]