Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/154

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mooney] INDIAN CONGRESS A T OMAHA I2g

Unfortunately the execution of the project was intrusted to an official unacquainted with tribal characteristics, arts, or cere- monies. As a result, no one of the leading native industries was represented — blanket weaving, pottery making, silver working, basket making, bread making, or skin dressing. Not even the characteristic earth lodge of the Omaha Indians was shown, although such houses are still in occupancy on the reservation less than sixty miles distant. The ethnologic results obtained were the work of an expert detailed at the special request of the management and were paid for outside of the appropriation.

The first Indians arrived in August, when the exposition was already half over, and they continued to come in by delegations and singly until the close. Some went home after a short time, but the majority remained to the end. The number contem- plated in the estimates was 500, the actual number present vary- ing from about 400 to about 550. Filtered water for drinking was supplied to the camp, and daily rations were issued nearly equivalent to the regular army ration. There were three deaths — a Sauk warrior, who was buried in full Indian dress, and two babies. Two infants were born during the encampment.

Omitting several delegations which remained but a short while, there were represented about twenty tribes, viz. : Apache, Arapaho (southern), Assiniboin, Blackfoot, Cheyenne (southern), Crow, Flathead, Iowa, Kiowa, Omaha, Oto, Ponka, Potawatomi, Pueblo (of Santa Clara), Sauk and Fox, Sioux, Tonkawa, Wichita, and Winnebago. The Apache were in two delegations, the Chiricahua now held as prisoners at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the San Carlos delegation, coming directly from Arizona. With the latter were several Mohave. The Flathead delegation included also some Spokan and Kalispel. The Kiowa were properly Kiowa Apache, practically a part of the Kiowa in everything but lan- guage. There were several delegations of Sioux, mainly from Rosebud and Pine Ridge agencies in South Dakota. The Wich- ita delegation included one or two individuals of the nearly

AM. AXTH. N. S., I — 9

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