Grass Dance among the Yanktons.l7
When one enters an Indian camp, whatever be the size of it, 100 to 200 lodges or goo to I,ooo souls, one is struck by the order and tranquillity that prevail. Among them as everywhere else the children are playing with all their might at their little innocent games, their bows and arrows or balls, or running races. The women are about their usual housework which is various and ample enough. They do the cooking, cut the wood and go for water. They work the skins of the animals killed in the chase -that is, they remove the hair from the hide, dry it, scrape it, tan it and paint it; they soften the skins to be used for garments which they afterward embroider with porcupine quills or beads of various colors. Besides all this, they have the entire care of their little papooses or children; they are always and everywhere industriously occupied. The men look after the horses, make bows and arrows, prepare and dry their smoking herb (kinikinik) or busy themselves about useful or purely fanciful matters. Their favorite occupation is to smoke the calumet in peace, eat a good piece of broiled buffalo or deer and then take a nap or else chat over the news of the day and the future movements of the camp. Though less perhaps than civilized countries, still the Indian camps also have their idlers and loafers, their good-for-nothings who kill time before the mirror, daubing their faces with colors and adorning themselves from head to foot.
On the other hand, upon the arrival of a person whom they desire to honor, everything is life and movement in the camp; everybody is on foot to celebrate their guest's visit. He passes through a long series of handshakes and later he is honored with a serenade accompanied with a dance. The dances are extremely varied and animated,
17 Letter to Father Terwecoren, dated November, 1867. Translated from the French.