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]).
| Fig. [178].—Handle and hatchet for tomahawk. | 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.
Fig. [180].—Diagram for shield.