--- title: Some Things the Indians Knew Before White Men Came — Wigwam stories told by North American Indians · full text with trees description: Some Things the Indians Knew Before White Men Came, «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The Indians made and still make excellent canoes of bark or of logs and even of skins. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/6/) [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/) / Some Things the Indians Knew Before Wh… # Some Things the Indians Knew Before White Men Came Some Things the Indians Knew Before White Men Came of «Wigwam stories told by North American Indians» by Mary Catherine Judd: the whole text, 29 sentences and 611 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. The Indians made and still make excellent canoes of bark or of logs and even of skins.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The birch-bark canoe is light and very swift, and white hunters are proud of their skill in its use, but the skin boat has only strength as its merit.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") The Siwash Indian of Puget Sound hollows out from a single log a fine canoe with decorated prow.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") He makes it secretly in the dark forest, and white men have tried for years to solve the problem of its swiftness.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") The bows of strong wood bent by sinew cords and the stone-headed arrows with feather tips were excellent weapons in the Indians’ former methods of warfare and hunting, and a good arrowhead maker was famous throughout a nation.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") Indian squaws were skillful in the making of buckskin suits for their braves.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The handsomely embroidered moccasins were and are now good specimens of woman’s work and love for beauty of coloring and design.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Each tribe had its own pattern and shape, differing so much from those of other tribes that a footprint might announce an enemy in war time.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") The Indians are still noted trappers, and their squaws know well how to tan and dress the skins of animals.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Fish-hooks were made of bone or flint, and spear points were of the same materials, but they were very sharp and with them the Indians caught many fish.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Their roving habits as hunters gave them little time for house-building, and so their homes were simply tents made of strips of bark or, better yet, of large buffalo or deer hides, neatly sewed together for this purpose.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") These teepees and wigwams were easily put up or removed, and were a good shelter.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") The Village Indians, or Pueblos of Arizona, still build themselves houses of adobe or unburnt brick.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") As the Pueblos were and are now less warlike than the roving tribes which live in tent-like houses, they have had time to invent many useful things.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The Pueblos weave excellent woolen blankets of gay stripes and a coarse cloth for wearing apparel.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") They make water-tight baskets and dishes of fiber, and these are often exchanged with the Tent Indians for dried meat and other food.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The Village Indians have for centuries planted and cared for maize, pumpkins, beans, and other vegetables.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Turkeys are raised for food, and their feather fibers are woven into cloth.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Eagles are caged and raised for their long feathers, which are held sacred.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") In the ruined houses of the cliff-dwellers of Texas and Arizona fragments of cloth woven from cotton and other substances have been found.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") No white man taught this ancient people these arts of weaving.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Clay dishes, mortars, and pestles of stone, large sea-shells cut into shapes for holding food, stone axes, and knives show some of the skill of these early Americans.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The ornaments made of silver by the Navajo, as well as the long strings of turquoise beads, are sometimes remarkable for their beauty.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Wampum, used by so many tribes for money, was carefully made from shells by eastern Indians.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") It seems strange that their crude tools could have made such small beads so very well.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The knowledge of medicine in all tribes was limited to a few herbs.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The rest was a kind of sorcery; but with the herbs, fresh air, and fresh water they managed to cure many ills.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") The Pueblos of New Mexico are very different from the Zuñis or the Moki Pueblos of Arizona.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") They are now much like the white people, for they live in well-built houses, attend church, and send their children to school.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Books in the Indian Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/5/) - next →: [How the Iroquois Built Their Log Forts](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/7/) - ↑ back to [Wigwam stories told by North American Indians](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg73136/)