--- title: The Indian At Home — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: The Indian At Home, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: An Indian in his native costume is a subject artists are glad to paint,—tanned buckskin trousers with the buckskin fringe --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/13/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Wigwam stories told by North American…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/) / The Indian At Home # The Indian At Home The Indian At Home of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 37 sentences and 785 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. An Indian in his native costume is a subject artists are glad to paint,—tanned buckskin trousers with the buckskin fringe down the outside seams; buckskin moccasins with colored porcupine quills neatly woven into the leather in regular patterns, and a heavy blanket or buffalo robe over his shoulders, hanging nearly to the ground.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") But the paint upon his face is his chief pride.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") A traveler, in 1835, was taking a trip up the Mississippi.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") He espied an Indian on the forward deck who was making his toilet, apparently unaware that a paleface was watching the process.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The traveler gives this account: “The Indian had secured at Fort Snelling, near St. Paul, a bit of broken looking-glass, and there he sat on deck, painting his face and neck.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") A daub of the brightest red paint went down the line marking the parting of his hair.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") “He worried and worked as much over the daubs on his cheeks as some very civilized girls would over a naughty curl.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") First, a daub of yellow with red at the edge; then red on the yellow, and yellow on the red, until his eye was satisfied.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “In the tuft of hair on his crown he stuck an eagle feather; the mirror showed it was not in a becoming place.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Out it came and was poised at a different angle.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Still, it was not just the style he wanted, and out it came again.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") At last it stood straight up, and the dandy finished his toilet.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “Such a self-satisfied air did he put on when paint, feather, and blanket had been arranged to his liking\![13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Perhaps some daughter of the Dakotas was the cause of all this patient study of the art of dressing; but I cannot dream of Hiawatha ever belittling himself to take so long a time with feathers and paint.”[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") It seemed strange to the traveler for the Indian to take so much pains with the colors of paint and the place where he put them upon his face, but it is now known that each color has its meaning with them.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians paint their faces very differently when they are going on the warpath.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors of each nation have their own fashion of painting their faces and bodies.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The war chiefs have a very noble look when they come out with their feather war bonnets reaching from the crowns of their heads down to their feet.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Their bearing is dignified; their faces are earnest and solemn; and each one treads the earth as a king.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Indian women are sometimes very handsome when young; but the quantity of colored earth they use as paint does not hide half the dirt upon their faces.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") They wear blankets and buckskin skirts, and make a pretty picture if the wigwam is in the background.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Many of the babies have a decidedly Japanese look and are attractive little creatures, as babies are apt to be.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indian squaw is a good helpmate to her husband.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") His work is to hunt; her work is at home in the teepee, where he can find rest and food after his hunting.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") An Indian brave will not do his squaw’s work, and his squaw does not wish her brave to be different from other men.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indian pony seems like a part of the family.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") He is not petted nor fed like the Arabian horse, but is just as necessary to his master’s happiness.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Indian ponies know what little food and what no food mean.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") The rank prairie grass is usually easy for them to get, but sometimes it is burned off.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The pony must search for his own food in summer or winter.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indian pony or cayuse sometimes carries a load under which a donkey could hardly move; but he takes his own gait, and keeps it too.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") He is suited by inherited years of hard work to his master and his home.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indian pony is thought to be descended from the horses brought to America by the Spanish explorers.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The dogs belonging to an Indian camp or village are numerous and often nearly starved.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Whenever a stranger makes his appearance, his coming is announced by furious barks and howls of these hungry sentinels.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") The white hunter has reason to dread the attacks of these dogs, for they are much like the coyotes and wolves of the forests.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Unless his gun is ready, or their masters call them back, it is usually best for the stranger to find refuge in a tree; but the braves, squaws, and children give the white visitor a kind welcome as soon as they know that his visit is friendly.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Medicine Men Among the Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/12/) - next →: [Meaning of Indian Totems and Names](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/14/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)