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Let The Women Do The Work

This page is the reminiscences, narratives & stories of our local pioneers.

Let The Women Do The Work

The Indian let the women do all of the work. Any work that a woman could do would be beneath the Indian to do. He simply carried his bow and arrow, and quiver, and did nothing else. He was the provider of meat and foods and the warrior to afford protection or glories of conquest to the tribe. The squaw was designed to do all to do all the manual work, and she did it all. The Indian would put forty or fifty arrows in a leather bag. This bag reminded one of the golf stick bag used nowadays. They were a great deal like the carrier used now in playing golf, for holding the golf sticks. They would place them so the leather kept the points of the arrows from going through. While the squaw carrried and prepared all of the meats and hides, and took care of all of the luggage, in addition to carrying the papoose around if there was one, the Indian would go out to shoot birds. As to carrying the papoose, while there on that subject. The papoose was carried on the back, strapped to a board. If the squaw stopped to do any work, the papoose might be left strapped to the board, which was set up against the tent. The squaw would then go on about her work. There the baby was, strapped to that board, and there he might be left for hours, or most of the day. A most remarkable Indian trait, even in infancy, was that you would never hear the baby cry. If you lived close enough to them to observe and became familiar with their habits, you would find the Indian very harsh toward his women, his children, and even his dogs and ponies.

The dogs they used were generally of a terrier class, small, alert, and faithful. When the dog was spoken to, he generally obeyed. But if a dog transgressed, he received harsh treatment at once. The Indian might tell the dog to go back and lay down. If there was not that instant compliance that the master required, he would take his tomahawk and aim at Mr. Dog. The Indian carried this tomahawk which had a blade like a hatchet, and a head for his pipe on the other end. If the dog did not render instant obedience, he would soon feel the tomahawk. When the Indian hit the dog, he did not care if it did kill him. The Indian wouldn't eat a dead dog if he had any other meat and the spur of necessity was not urging such a course. If they were dreadfully short of food it might be different, but if not short enough of food, the dog would be promptly thrown away.

The same way with children. The little papoose was trained to stand a great deal, and might be left strapped to the board all day. But there would be no whimpering. In the evening time it would be taken off the board and the mother would lay the board to one side and take care of it, and then put it back on the board the next morning. You hardly ever heard one of the children cry. There might be three or four children playing or working around the tent, but you would hardly ever hear one of them cry. The Indian was boss over all. Whatever he said would go, and go whenever he said so. There was none of the teasing or chafing so common among our children of this twentieth century generation.

Cited Source:

A. F. Buechler and R. J. Barr, editors. "Reminiscences and Narratives of Pioneers: Let The Women Do the Work," History of Hall County Nebraska (Lincoln, NE: Western Publishing and Engraving Company, 1920): 90-91. Provided by the Prairie Pioneer Genealogical Society, Grand Island, Nebraska.

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