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43 [Image] Ojibway, Porcupine Skin bag (Haupt Coll. del) length, 18 3/4 inches. diameter. 11 "

Porcupine Skin bag

The Ojibway indian and the [unclear] tribe doubtless of the Dakota used quantities of Bear grease to anoint their hair and keep it soft and shiny. The hair of an indian is black as a coal all races of them seem to possess this peculiarity. When old age comes on the black turns to gray. but no other color is found as a rule among indians in fact this strong tendency for black. hair seems to reach to their half breed descendants To carry the Bear grease necessary to anoint the hair a bag or ? as it has been styled, is made of the skin of the porcupine. an animal is procured and so dexterously skinned that the outer pelt is removed with only a small apperture at the head. the hair and quills are all removed. and the orifices where ever they occur are tied Into this is put the bear grease. which is used only to anoint the hair. It is indeed very appropriate to select the porcupine as the recipient of the bear grease as both are sacred animals. among the Ojibway. it is said that the indians formerly carried water in such bags but this we doubt. There is no question that they will and do hold water but In the Ojibway country there is no need to carry water it is every where. The present race of indians know them porcupine skin bags with few exceptions only by tradition. they were used in days gone by. but are now obsolete. The specimen in the writers collection was made by an old man. "No-mi-tig.go.chi." -The French Man" he had seen them when he was a boy. The capacity of such a bag is about three gallons. This specimen is from Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.