David T. Vernon Collection at Grand Teton National Park: Part II

Toys such as miniature toy gun and scabbard were made in graduated sizes for young boys. They could be adjusted to a larger size as the child grew. Learning how to hunt was a critical skill for each boy to learn.

Small miniature cradleboards were made for little girls as playthings. In the 1880–1900s, tourism emerged as an industry on Indian reservations. This miniature cradleboard might have been made specifically for the tourist trade.

The frames of Shoshone cradleboards in the Great Basin were an inverted U-shape. A flat-board was cut into a trapezoid wider at the top than the bottom and covered with native tanned buckskin. Several styles of cradleboards were developed using the U-shape design on the Columbia River Plateau and Northern Plains. Shoshone cradleboards were partially beaded; the Northern Plains cradleboard was fully beaded.

Since prehistoric time tobacco has been smoked in stone pipe bowls attached to long wooden stems. In historic times, pipes were smoked for pleasure as well as in ceremonies. Women also smoked a smaller pipe.

Pipe bags are typically rectangular in shape and made of soft native tanned buckskin, usually deerskin. The upper half to two-thirds of the bag is usually undecorated, while the lower half is fully beaded and fringed. The green color comes from a pigment dye, likely commercially produced.

This roach is made from horse hair attached with thread to the base. Outside is deer tail dyed red and attached with thread to the horsehair and base. Historically, this type of head dress was worn for the War Dance. Similar dance roaches are still being made and worn by contemporary American Indians for social dancing at Pow-Wows throughout North America.

Brass tacks are studded on much of this tapered leather scabbard with leather fringe at the top. There is a triangular shape cutout at the center for a belt strap. Wrapped metal wire attaches leather fringe to the leather scabbard along the top. Commercial leather scabbards and belts with brass tacks were an early trade item among the Northern Plains, Columbia River Plateau, and Eastern Great Basin Indian tribes beginning in the fur trade era.

Flint and steel along with other objects were used to start fires. Trading post blacksmiths made steel by heating a carpenter’s steel file and bending it into a desired shape. Women used flint chips to strike sparks from the steel for lighting tinder.

Ladles were made of wood, sometimes carved from a tree knot. Ladle handles were elaborately carved with animals such as hawk, beaver, and sometimes a human figure in a seated posture. Ladles occasionally would be used by several people during a feast.

The spreading bowl and re-curved handle of this ladle were achieved by boiling a horn in water until it was pliable enough to bend into a shape. Wooden and horn ladles were used to serve meat and vegetable stew during meals.

This hairbrush is constructed of the skin of a porcupine tail that has been stretched over a smooth stick. Porcupine guard hair provided a good stout bristle with which to brush hair. The porcupine’s tail has no quills on it. The beaded band covers the seam.

European knives were among the earliest and most desirable items of trade. Women were quick to fashion and bead scabbards in tribal geometric or floral patterns. The women used knives in food preparation, tailoring of clothing, and making domestic wares. Beaded scabbards were tied with buckskin thongs to their belts.

European knives were among the earliest and most desirable items of trade. Women were quick to fashion and bead scabbards in tribal geometric or floral patterns. The women used knives in food preparation, tailoring of clothing, and making domestic wares. Beaded scabbards were tied with buckskin thongs to their belts.

This container was constructed to hold the very aromatic castor oil of a beaver. It was created from a hollowed out birch log from Northern Montana/Idaho, and assembled with wooden plug, a leather strap handle, and decorative brass tacks. Beaver castor oil was used to bait traps.

Several tribes of the Northern Plains and Great Lakes played a winter game called snow snake with an arrow like this. Constructed of a rod, end of a bison horn, and feathers, these arrows were made to slide along a frozen crust or in a rut in the snow.

This knife is stamped with the manufacturer’s name: “J. Russell Co. GREEN RIVER WORKS, Professional.” With a curved blade and cord wrapped handle, the blade is sheathed in a decorative buckskin scabbard.

Pieces of birch bark were shaped into cones and used as moose calls to attract animals during the hunt.

Paint bags were used to store soil pigments (white clay, yellow and red ochre) to be used as paint. Paints were applied on the body during battle, religious ceremony, and social occasions by both men and women.

This particular type of bag was made by the French/Cree (Metis) tribe and traded to other Northern Plains and Great Lakes tribes. Pouches like these were originally made from an animal’s scrotum.