AN INDIAN ENCAMPMENT
AN Indian encampment for your very own! A wigwam, camp-fire, Indian
travois, blanket-weaving loom, gorgeous feathered head-dress, bow,
arrows and shield, tomahawk, wampum, and a little copper-colored papoose
in its funny stiff cradle, hanging on a tree entirely alone! Does not
all that sound delightful? The complete scene can actually be made to
appear in your room at home.
Take for
The Ground
a common pastry-board or any kind of board of the desired size--about
nineteen by twenty-six inches--and for grass cover one side and the four
edges of the board with a piece of light-green cotton flannel stretched
tight, fleece side up, and tacked to the under side of the board.
Sprinkle sand and small stones on the grass at one side of the wigwam,
to show where the grass has been worn off by the tramping of the
Indians, the bronco pony, and the dog, for all Indians possess dogs of
some description. If you have a toy dog of suitable size, stand him by
the fire where he will be comfortable. Before the red men owned horses,
a dog was always used to drag the travois, and to this day the braves
care as much for a dog as does any pale-faced boy--which is saying
much, for a white boy and any kind of a dog make devoted friends and
comrades.
[Illustration: Fig. 167.--Home-made compass.]
Now that we have our camping-ground, the first thing we must do is to
Put Up the Wigwam
for shelter. Draw an eight-inch diameter circle on the grass near one
end of the ground. Fold a strip of paper lengthwise, stick a pin through
one end of the paper and drive it down into the board where you wish the
centre of the circle, push the point of a lead pencil through the other
end of the paper four inches from the pin; keep the pin steady while you
move the pencil around many times until a circle appears plainly on the
grass (Fig. 167).
[Illustration: Fig. 168.--Pole sharpened to flat point.]
Cut twelve slender sticks eleven inches long and sharpen the heavy end
of each into a flat point (Fig. 168). The sticks must be straight, for
they are wigwam-poles. Tie three poles together two inches from their
tops and spread out the sharpened ends at nearly equal distances apart
on the circle line; mark the spots where they rest and bore gimlet-holes
in each place through the cloth into the wood. Enlarge each hole with a
penknife and insert the poles, pushing the sharpened points down firmly
into the holes (Fig. 169). Add seven more poles around the circle,
keeping the spaces between all about even. Sink these last poles in the
ground as you did the first three; then tie the tops together around
the first three poles, and you will have the wigwam framework of ten
poles standing strong and firm.
[Illustration: Fig. 169.--First three poles planted firmly in edge of
circle for wigwam.]
[Illustration: Fig. 170.--Cover for wigwam.]
Make the cover of unbleached or brown-tinted cotton cloth cut like Fig.
170. Mark the curved lower edge with the home-made compass used for the
grass circle. Fasten the pin and pencil in the paper strip nine and
one-half inches apart; draw almost a half circle, then an inch and a
half from the spot A (Fig. 170), where the pin is stationed, begin to
cut the opening for the top of the wigwam poles, B (Fig. 170). Slash the
point C in as far as D, sew pieces of cloth over the points E and E,
leaving the opening at dotted lines to form pockets for the smoke-poles.
Cut two rows of little holes on each side of the upper part of the
wigwam to run the pinsticks through when fastening the wigwam together
(Fig. 171).
Now comes the fun of decorating the cover. Pin the cloth out flat and
smooth, and paint in brilliant red, yellow, black, green, white, and
blue the designs given in Fig. 170. When finished, fit the cover over
the wigwam-poles and with short, slender sticks pin the fronts together.
Peg the lower edge down to the ground with short black pins and slide a
pole in each pocket of the smoke-flaps E and E (Fig. 170). Bring the
poles around and cross them at the back of the wigwam. As you do this
you will exclaim with delight at the result, for the little wigwam will
be very realistic.
In front of your wigwam or tepee
Build a Make-Believe Fire
of bits of orange and scarlet tissue-paper mixed in with short twigs,
and then you must manufacture something to cook in. Bore a hole in the
ground near the fire and fit in the fire-pole, making it slant over to
one side and hang directly above the fire. Place a stone over the
embedded end of the pole to keep it firm. Suspend an acorn kettle or any
little kettle of the right size for the Indians to use on the pole and
the camp will begin to look cosey for the red men to enjoy. Hunt up a
jointed doll about five inches high, paint it copper color, ink its
hair, and the doll will be a fairly
Good Indian.
If you can find a Zulu doll of the required size, with long, straight
black hair, and give him a wash of dull red paint, you can turn him into
a fine Indian. Failing these dolls, make an Indian doll of dull red
raffia or cloth. This you can do if you try, and remember to have your
red man a little more slender than store dolls; most of these are rather
too stout to make good Indians.
[Illustration: Fig. 171.--Wigwam with make-believe camp-fire.]
Real chiefs like Turning Eagle, Swift Dog, Crazy Bull, and others, wore
gorgeous feather headdresses, and gloried in the strange war bonnets,
not because they were gay and startling, but for the reason that each
separate feather in the head-band meant that the owner had performed a
brave deed of which the tribe was proud, and the greater the number of
brave deeds the greater the number of feathers; consequently the longer
the bonnet-trail. This explains the real meaning of the common
expression, "A feather in your cap."
[Illustration: Fig. 172.--Pattern for war bonnet.]
Your Indian must be a mighty chief and will need a very long-trailing
War Bonnet.
Cut the head-dress like Fig. 172 of white paper. Paint all the paper
horse-hair tips on the paper eagle feathers red, the tops of the
feathers black, and the band in which they are fastened yellow, red, and
green, leaving white spaces between the colors (Fig. 173). Cut out, then
turn the end of the band F (Fig. 172) until the loop fits the Indian's
head, and glue the end of the loop on the strip (Fig. 173). Paste
fringed yellow paper around each of the chieftain's feet, fringed edge
uppermost, to serve as moccasins. Part the Indian's hair at the back,
bring the two divisions in front, one on each side of the head, and wind
each with scarlet worsted as the real Indian wears his hair, then wrap
around your red man a soft, dull-colored cloth extending from the waist
to the knees. Pin the drapery in place and the chief will be ready to
take charge of his bronco pony, which may be any toy horse you happen to
possess. The horse in the illustration is an ordinary cloth toy.
[Illustration: Fig. 173.--Indian war bonnet.]
[Illustration: Fig. 174.--Tie the four poles together and tie thongs
across centre for your travois.]
Red men are not fond of remaining long in one place, and naturally your
Indian will soon want to break camp and carry his belongings elsewhere.
Help him prepare by making
A Travois.
You will need four slender poles, two fifteen and one-half inches long,
one five and one-half and another six and one-half inches long. Bind the
six-and-a-half-inch pole across the two long poles four inches from
their heavy ends; fasten the five-and-a-half-inch pole across the long
poles two and one-half inches above the first cross-piece. Instead of
thongs of buffalo hide, such as the real red man would use, take narrow
strips of light-brown cloth to form the rude net-work over the space
bounded by the four poles. Tie the top ends of the long poles together
(Fig. 174), then tie the travois to the horse, as in Fig. 175. In most
of these conveyances the thongs are tied across one way only, from short
pole to short pole, forming a ladder-like arrangement.
[Illustration: Fig. 175.--Travois ready for camping outfit.]
[Illustration: Fig. 176.--Different parts of straw calumet.]
[Illustration: Fig. 177.--Calumet finished.]
A chief must always have his
Calumet,
or "pipe of peace," to smoke and pass around the council circle, when
all the leaders of the different tribes meet to talk over important
matters concerning the welfare of their people. Real calumets are
generally large and of goodly length, some of them being four feet long.
They are made of dull-red stone, which, when first cut from the large
mass, is soft enough to be carved out with a knife; later the pipe
becomes hard and capable of receiving a polish. But as the red stone is
not within our reach, we must use dull red-colored straw for the
calumet. Soak the straw in hot water to render it less brittle. Then cut
a three-inch length piece; make a hole in it a short distance from one
end (Fig. 176, G) and insert a three-quarter inch length of straw for
the pipe bowl (Fig. 176, H). For the mouthpiece take a half-inch length
of white straw (Fig. 176, I), and slide it in the other end of the pipe.
Glue both bowl and mouthpiece in place and decorate the calumet with
red, green, and white silk floss tied on the pipe stem (Fig. 177).
The Tomahawk
must not be forgotten. Soak a stick two and one-half inches long in hot
water; when it is pliable, split an end down one inch, no more (Fig.
178, J), and in true Indian fashion bind a stone hatchet (Fig. 178, K)
between the split sides of the stick handle with thongs of hide. Whittle
the little hatchet from a piece of wood, cover it with glue, then with
sand. When dry it will be difficult for others to believe that the
implement is not of real stone. Instead of thongs use thread (Fig. 179).
[Illustration: Fig. 178.--Handle and hatchet for tomahawk.]
[Illustration: Fig. 179.--Tomahawk ready for use.]
The Chieftain's Shield
is of hide taken from the neck of the bull bison; the piece must be
twice the required size for a finished shield to allow for the necessary
shrinkage. Over a fire built in a hole in the ground the skin is
stretched and pegged down. When heated, it is covered with a strong glue
made from the hoofs and joints of the bison, which causes the hide to
contract and thicken. As this process goes on the pegs are loosened and
again adjusted until the skin ceases to contract and absorb the glue.
Then the hide is much smaller and thicker than at first. When it has
slowly cooled, the skin is cut into a circle and decorated. Though
pliable, the shield is strong enough to ward off blows from arrows or
spears.
[Illustration: Fig. 180.--Diagram for shield.]
[Illustration: Fig. 181. Eagle feather of paper.]
[Illustration: Fig. 182.--Decorated Indian shield.]
Bison hide is something you cannot obtain, so take writing paper for the
shield. Cut it into a circle an inch and a half in diameter, with an
extension for the handle (Fig. 180). Glue the free end of the handle on
the opposite side of the back of the shield. Make ten paper eagle
feathers (Fig. 181), hang seven on the bottom of the shield with red
thread, after first decorating the centre of the shield with given
designs and the edge with colored bands, using any or all of the
following colors, but no others: positive red, blue for the sky, green
for the grass, yellow for the sun, white for the clouds and snow, and
black. To the Indian color is a part of religion. Purple, pinks, and
some other colors, the red man, loyal to his beliefs, can never bring
himself to use. Attach two of the remaining feathers at the top and
another on the centre of the shield, as shown in Fig. 182.
The Indian makes his
Arrow-heads
of triangular flakes of flint chipped from a stone held between his
knees and struck with a rude stone hammer. The pieces knocked off are
carefully examined, and only those without flaws are kept. Stones for
arrow-heads must be very hard. When found, the red men bury them in wet
ground and build fires over them, causing the stones to show all cracks
and checks. This enables the arrow-maker to discard those unfitted for
his work.
[Illustration: Fig. 183.--Paper flint arrow-head.]
Though you cannot make a real flint arrow-head, you can manufacture a
toy one. Take a piece of stiff pasteboard and cut it like Fig. 183. Let
the length be a trifle over half an inch. Cover the arrow-head all over
with a light coat of glue, then dip it in sand, and the arrow-head will
come out as if made of stone. Were it actually hard stone and large size
you would be obliged, as the Indians do, to trim and shape more
perfectly the point and edges of the arrow-head. You would hold a pad of
buckskin in your left hand to protect it from the sharp flint, and on
your right hand would be a piece of dressed hide to guard it from the
straight piece of bone, pointed on the end, which you would use to
strike off little bits of stone along both edges, working cautiously as
you neared the point in order not to break it. But such work will not be
needed on your arrow-head.
[Illustration: Fig. 184.--Insert arrow-head in shaft.]
[Illustration: Fig. 185.--Arrow-head and shaft bound together.]
For
The Shaft
hunt up a piece of wood strong and straight. Cut it three inches in
length, remove the bark and scrape the wood until it is about the
thickness of an ordinary match. Notch one end and split the other end
down one-quarter of an inch, insert the arrow-head (Fig. 184), then bind
the shaft and head together with thread (Fig. 185), in place of the wet
sinew an Indian would use for a real arrow, after he had first fastened
the head in the shaft with glue from buffalo hoofs.
[Illustration: Fig. 186.--Paper feather for arrow.]
[Illustration: Fig. 187.]
Cut three paper feather strips (Fig. 186), each an inch in length, paint
black bands on them, bend at dotted line and glue the feathers on the
shaft one-quarter of an inch from the notch, allowing them to stand out
at angles equally distant from each other (Fig. 187). Bind the
extensions L and M (Fig. 186) to the shaft, and tie tufts of white and
red worsted on immediately above the feathers to help in finding the
arrow (Fig. 188). Paint the shaft in brilliant colors.
Almost any kind of wood that has a spring will make
A Good Bow
for your little Indian. Cut the piece of wood four inches long and an
eighth of an inch wide. Scrape it flat on one side and slightly rounded
on the other, notch the stick at each end, wind the centre with red
worsted and paint the bow in bright hues (Fig. 189). Tie a strong thread
in one notch and bring it across to the other notch; tighten until it
bends the bow centre half an inch from the straight thread; tie the
thread around the notch (Fig. 190). Now try the wee weapon; hold it
vertically and shoot the little arrow into the air. It will fly very
swiftly away, landing many yards from where you stand.
[Illustration: Fig. 188.--Finished arrow.]
[Illustration: Fig. 189.--Bow ready for string.]
[Illustration: Fig. 190. Bow string.]
Make the bow case (Fig. 192) of ordinary wrapping paper cut like Fig.
191, three and a half inches long and two and a half inches wide. Fold
the paper lengthwise through the centre and glue the sides together
along the dotted lines; then fringe the edge up to the dotted line and
decorate with gay paint.
[Illustration: Fig. 191.--Cut bow case like this]
[Illustration: Fig. 192.--Bow case finished.]
Dress the jointed doll squaw in a fringed
Chamois-Skin Gown;
fold the skin and let one half form the front, the other half the back.
Cut the garment like the half N, in Fig. 193, stitch the sides together,
stitch the under part of the sleeves together and fringe both sleeves
and bottom of the dress (O, Fig. 193). Belt the gown in with scarlet
worsted and load the squaw down with strands of colored beads; then seat
her on the grass (Fig. 194) while you make the primitive loom for her to
use in weaving one of the famous
Navajo Blankets.
[Illustration: Fig. 193.--Squaw's chamois dress.]
Paint a two by four inch piece of white cotton cloth with a blanket
design in red and black, with white between the markings, and pin it
securely on a board (Fig. 195). Tie stones to a pole six inches in
length (Fig. 196); with long stitches fasten the stone-weighted pole to
the bottom edge of the painted cloth blanket (Fig. 197).
[Illustration: Fig. 194.--Squaw doll make-believe weaving Navajo blanket
on primitive loom.]
Two inches above the blanket attach a six-inch pole to the board with
pins and use a coarse needle and heavy thread to make the warp. Run the
thread through the wrong side of the blanket and up around the pole.
Cross it on the under side of the long thread (P, Fig. 197) which
extends from blanket to pole.
[Illustration: Fig. 195.--Indian blanket pinned on board.]
[Illustration: Fig. 196.--Stones tied to pole for bottom of loom.]
[Illustration: Fig. 197.--Building primitive loom.]
Carry the thread along the pole a short distance, loop it over (Q, Fig.
197) and bring the thread down through the right side of the blanket.
Take a long stitch and again carry the thread up over the pole. Continue
until the warp is entirely across the blanket. Pin another pole six and
a half inches long, three-quarters of an inch above the top pole, and
fasten the two poles together by tying loops of string across from one
to the other (Fig. 198).
[Illustration: Fig. 198.--Primitive loom ready for frame.]
Make the loom frame of two seven-inch poles four and a half inches apart
and crossed at the top by another seven-inch pole, the three firmly tied
together and made to stand erect on the grass by planting the two
upright poles in holes bored through the cloth grass into the board
ground. Hang the loom on this frame by winding a narrow strip of cloth
loosely around the top of the frame and top of loom (Fig. 194).
[Illustration: Fig. 199.--Natural twig and tissue-paper tree.]
Find a stout, short-branched twig for
The Tree
(Fig. 199). Sharpen the bottom and drive it into a hole in the ground.
For the foliage cut a fringe of soft green and olive-brown tissue-paper
folded lengthwise in strips. Crimp the strips with a blade of the
scissors, then open out the fringe; gather each one through the centre,
give the paper a twist, and the two ends will form bunches of foliage.
Work the twisted centre of one piece down into a crack at the top of the
tree. Over across this at right angles in another opening, fit in the
second twist of paper foliage and crown all with a bunch standing
upright as shown at Fig. 199.
[Illustration: Fig. 200.--The little papoose you can make.]
[Illustration: Cradle for papoose.]
A solemn
Little Papoose
bound in its stiff cradle is one of the drollest things imaginable.
Paint a small doll copper color, make its hair black, and bind the baby
in a cradle cut from brown pasteboard (Fig. 200). Cut along heavy line
and bend forward the tongue R along the dotted line, bring the strap S
across and glue the end on the under side of the cradle; then line the
cradle with white tissue-paper and place the Indian child on it; spread
a piece of vivid red tissue-paper over the infant, bringing the sides of
the cover on the under side of the cradle, where you must glue them.
Fold over the lower end of the paper and glue that also on the back of
the cradle. Paint the cradle and portions of the cover white, green,
black, and yellow (Fig. 200); then hang the cradle and baby on the limb
of the tree (Fig. 199), where the little papoose will be safe while his
squaw-mother works at her weaving.
The red men use queer money which they call
Wampum.
It is made of shells found usually along the borders of rivers and
lakes. The Indians cut the thick part of the shell into cylinders about
an inch long, bore holes lengthwise through the centres and string them
like beads on fine, strong sinews (Fig. 201), but this money is not as
pretty as glass beads, for it resembles pieces of common clay pipe
stems. A certain number of hand-breadths of wampum will buy a gun, a
skin, a robe, or a horse, and when presented by one chief to another the
wampum means good-will and peace. Of course, you will want to supply
your Indians with their own kind of money. You can string the wampum
into a necklace and decorate the strand with eagle claws, bright beads,
and tufts of gay worsted.
[Illustration: Fig. 201. Wampum, Indian money.]
[Illustration: Fig. 202. Buffalo claw cut from wood.]
Find some beads much smaller, but as near as possible in color and form
to real wampum, and string them with tiny eagle claws made of wood cut
like Fig. 202, only smaller. Paint the claws very dark gray, almost
black, and bore a hole through the heavy end with a hat-pin heated red
hot. The claws will then string easily and give quite a savage
appearance to the necklace (Fig. 203).
Let the colored worsted tufts, which must take the place of hair, be
bright-red, and the strands of round beads on each side of the necklace
of various colors (Fig. 203).
[Illustration: Fig. 203.--Indian necklace of wampum, eagle claws, tufts
of hair, and bone beads.]
Indians when they cannot obtain beads use gayly colored porcupine quills
for their embroidery. You need not try the embroidery, but be sure to
make the entire Indian encampment with everything pertaining to it.