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The following reader was included in the Southern Oregon Digital Archives through thecourtesy of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon.

Please note that this volume contains material from tribal legends. It should only be usedduring the winter season.

OConfederated Tribes of the Warm Springs of Oregon.; reprinted with permission.

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THE INDIAN READING SERIES: Stories and Legends of theNorthwest is a collection of authentic material cooperatively devel-oped by Indian people from twelve reservations. Development ac-tivities are guided by a Policy Board which represents the Indiancommunity of the Paciflic Northwest. The Pacific Northwest IndianReading and Language Development Program Policy Board mem-bers are:

* Warren Clements - Warm SpringsChairman

* Clement Azure - Devils Lake Sioux* Walter Moffett - Nez Perce* Emmett Oliver - Quinault* Bob Parsley - Chippewa* Lloyd Smith - Warm Springs* Max Snow* Jeanne Thomas - Yakima

vt AllTHE INDIAN READING SERIESStories and Legends of the Northwest

Our Home Then and NowHow Deer Hide Was ThnnedLevel IV Book 18

By members of the Warm SpringsReservation Committee

Verbena Greene, CoordinatorJackie EstimoLillie HeathViola KalamaStella McKinleyClara MoodyAda SooksoitChristine TomFelix WallulatumWilson Wewa, Jr.Debra Smith, IllustratorCarol Allison, Illustrator

Illustrated by Carol Allison

Joseph Coburn, DirectorPacific Northwest Indian ProgramNorthwest Regional Educational Laboratory

Developed by the Pacific Northwet Indian Reading and Language l)evelopment ProgramNorthwest Regional Educational l~aboratory .300 Southwest Sixth Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204

Copyright @ 1981 by the (confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of OregonAll rights reserved

The work upon which this publication is based was performed pursuant to ContractNo 400-80-0105 with the Educational Equity Group Multicultural Bilingual Divisionof the National Institute it Education It does not, however, necessarily reflect theviews of that agency

Printed and bound in the United States of America

Our Home Then and Now

1

Long ago when I was a boy, ourpeople lived in tule mat huts. Some of

fv (} the people were chosen to go to theJ a ~ marshy places along the river, to cut the

tule reeds. I remember the fun we hadI>\ _ t 7 _ \ \ )| playing along the river. We caught fish

\- e', while the women cut the tule.4, - - s \ -A frame of willow branches wasset into the ground and a small trench

_. - I, 1<<, C' Hi Zwas dug around it.

The tightly 4 I

bound tule mats were Ithen tied onto the wil-StapS jl ; II I low frame. The matswere layered on top of Ieach other for warmth.Animal hides weretightly tied over thetule mats to keep the 1 l 1wind out. I remember l ;I

it was snug and warm I'in the tule mat hut.

During the winter nights, we listened to the story-teller. A fire for cookingand heat was built in the center of the hut on the dirt floor. A hole was left in thetop of the hut for the smoke to go through.

2

Some families built alarger house to live in duringthe winter. This house wasmade of fir poles. Tule matswere fastened together inlayers on top of the poles. Thefires for cooking and heatingwere built in the center ofthe dirt floor.

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Tule mats were spread on the floor to serve the food on or to sit on. Bedswere made of fir boughs and wild rye grass. In the morning, the branches andgrasses were just gathered up and set aside on the wall of the lodge. Everythinghad its place and there was a lot of room inside. Indian people used the tulemat for many things.

3

The tule was cut in the fall of the year and tied into bundles, keepingthem as straight as possible while they dried.

The tule mat was made by cutting the tule all the same length. Then itwas sewn together and tied at each side.

The mats were made to whatever length a person wished. The lengthdepended on whatever they were being made for. They were very useful.

The tule mats were used in making the longhouse. The longhouse is aplace where council talks, social dances, funerals, and other events areheld, as well as religious ceremonies.

Tule mats were also used in the marriage ceremonies, the bride sat on themat during the ceremony

Before the coming of the coffin, our people used the tule mat to wraparound the dead person before putting the body into the ground.

When spring came, we would take our winter lodge down and bundle itup. We left the poles, branches, and mats tied together in a tree so they would bethere to put up again next winter.

In the spring, the families moved to the mountains and the hills. Herethey would dig the roots and pick berries to be prepared for winter food supplyWhen I was a boy, my family had a two room house made of boards up in themountains. In the house was a wood stove to cook on. We spent our days pickingberries and gathering reeds and grasses for making baskets.

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Then as the times changed, our houses changed. We began to live inhouses with two, maybe three rooms. We had tables to put our food on and chairsto sit on. Beds were made with feather mattresses and wood. Wool blanketsreplaced the animal skins. We had kerosene lamps to replace the fire.Automobiles replaced horses.

6

Today, we live in a big house, six or seven rooms. Running water! No morecarrying water from the river! We even have lights and heat from wires calledelectricity Most of our food is already cooked when we buy it from a store. Thereare microwave ovens that cook for us, washing machines that wash clothes forus, dishwashers that wash dishes for us.

7 3

No more do we hear the first morning call of the bird or listen for the call ofthe wild elk. No more do we listen to find water, and hear it as it gurgles merrilyalong its way to the great waters. Now, we hear the stereo, the cassette, orthe radio.

Our time is spent watching television, movies and having parties. Riversare suffering from the pollution. The sky is not bright anymore from too muchsmoke. The animals, birds, and fish are not plentiful any more.

8

How Deer Hide Was Tanned

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Hunting was a main part of Indian life. The deer was a veryprecious animal to the people. The hides were used for blankets andclothing. The bones were used for tools and needles for sewing. TheIndians used every part of the deer and ate the meat which could feeda lot of people.

The men of the tribe who were chosen for hunters took theyoung boys to learn to hunt.

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In camp the women prepared the meat for the winter. Most ofthe meat was dried or made into pemmican.

12

The deer hides were tanned tomake warm clothes for the winter. Thehides were first soaked in water forthree or four days, or long enough sothe hair would come off the hide easilyThe hair was scraped off with ascraper. The other side was alsoscraped clean of all pieces of meatand fat.

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The deer hide was then put into acontainer and soaked with the brainsof the deer. It was soaked until it wassoft. The deer hide was then taken outof the soaking solution and wrappedaround a tree. The hide was wrung outas dry as it could be. This sometimestook half an hour, depending on thethickness of the hide. After it was un-wound and wrung out dry, it was readyto be put on the tanning frame.

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The hide was stretched and lacedon a frame. It was poked gently with ablunt stick or deer antler to soften thehide. This was done very carefully inorder not to poke a hole through thehide. The women poked it until it wasdry After it was dry, it was unlaced andtaken off the frame.

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The hide was then sewn up one side, leaving both ends open.The hide was hung over a low fire of coals. A certain kind of woodwas burned to smoke the hide. It was smoked to the desired color.Finally the hide was ready to cut and sew into moccasins or shirtsor a buckskin dress.

16

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VERBENA GREENE

CAROL ALLISONGPO0 1982-593 665

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18

Booklets available in the Level IV sequence are listed below. Numbers refer to the Planned Sequence of usein the Teacher's Manual. Materials developed by these tribes and others in the Northwest are included inthe Levels I, II and III sequences.

1. Warm Springs A nirnal StoriesThe Confederated Tribes of the Warm SpringsReservation of Oregon

2. Snail Women at Sq1a'leThe Suquamish Tribe of the Port MadisonReservation

3. Blue Jay - Star ChildlBasket WomanMuckleshoot Tribe

4. Assiniboine Woman Making GreaseAssiniboine Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation

5. CoyoteThe Confederated Tribes of the Warm SpringsReservation of Oregon

6. How the Summer Season CamneAssiniboine Tribe of the Fort BelknapReservation

7. Little Weasel's DreamSalish and Kootenai Tribes of the FlatheadReservation

8. Fort Hall StoriesShoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort HallReservation

9. The Bear TepeeNorthern Cheyenne Tribe

10. Sioux Stories and LegendsSioux Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation

11. Kootenai StoriesSalish and Kootenai Tribes of the FlatheadReservation

12. Chief Mountain's MedicineGros Ventre Tribe from the Fort BelknapReservation

13. Coyote the TricksterBurns Paiute Reservation

14. Running FreeShoalwater Bay

15. Salish Coyote StoriesSalish and Kootenai Tribes of the FlatheadReservation

16. Coyote and the CowboysShoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort HallReservation

17. Napi's JourneyBlackfeet Tribe

18. Warm Springs StoriesThe Confederated Tribes of the Warm SpringsReservation of Oregon

19. Tepee MakingSalish and Kootenai Tribes of the FlatheadReservation

20. Baskets and CanoesSkokomish Tribe

21. Warrior PeopleBlackfeet Tribe

THE INDIAN READING SERIES:Stories and Legends of the Northwest