Plains Indian Eating Utensils
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Mandan and Lakota Eating utensils were constructed from the horns of buffalo bulls. The spoon (2) and bowl (3) were stored in a pouch kept at a person’s side. Some buffalo meat was broiled above a fire and a knife used to cut off chunks of meat to eat, but most of the meat was cooked in a buffalo stomach. Most meat was boiled to make it tender. Sometimes prairie turnips (timpsila) were added. The ladle (1) was used to serve the soup. Because generosity was an important virtue, the ladle was large to dish a huge portion. It was important to eat everything served and a host was honored when a great quantity of her food was eaten. A bladder (4) that had been blown up and dried was used as a canteen to hold water for drinking. The canteen was tied with a buckskin thong above the doorway. To drink, the bladder was squeezed and the water came to the top. #28 |
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Artifacts by Sioux Replications / All images © Franz Brown
Artifacts Group 1 / Group 2 / Group 3 |