siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

SWANTON] CHOCTAW SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL, LIFE 43
When it was stretched to suit they would make ornamental cuts or
notches in it. Holes were pierced at the big end and a notch made
around the little end by which to fasten cords for suspension.
To what extent the working of silver was connected with the
earlier working of copper is unknown, but the idea of a bellows must
have been introduced. Simpson Tubby asserts that they first worked
brass taken from guns and resorted to silver later. The bellows was
made of a piece of cane narrowed to a small point at one end and
fitted at the other with a mouthpiece of tin, horn, or some other
suitable material. Through this they were enabled to concentrate
the breath on the metal, the latter being laid on one piece of flint and
struck with another.
The Choctaw claim that they first obtained beads from the whites
at Sugarlock, which received its name shikalla, " beads," from the
circumstance. This, of course, refers to trade beads, the introduction
of which enabled the Indians to make a more lavish use of beads in
belts, moccasins, and other articles of use or adornment than had
before been possible. One person often wore a string of beads of
different colors three or four yards in length.
In olden times they made wooden beads as big as acorns. They
also strung together bushels of chinquapin nuts which they dyed
with the colors used on baskets. The seeds of the red haw were also
resorted to, but after they had been used at one or two social gather-
ings they would disintegrate and it was necessary to collect new ones.
For a while they used winter berries {Ilex verticillafaf) but later
stopped the practice lest the cattle or chickens should be poisoned.**^*
Some people wore $200 worth of silver—bracelets, anklets, ear
plugs—besides beaded belts, bead necklaces, and so on. To make ear
plugs they merely pierced the lobe of the ear, and Simpson himself
used to do this. After the operation a weed which has a red juice
was stuck through the perforation and left there until it healed.
Feathers were not merely ornaments but often had special signif-
icance. The feather headdresses of the head chief and captains
will be described later. It is said that a doctor who could cure
rheumatism would put a buzzard feather in his hair. There were
certain men who claimed that they could stop the hooting of a
common owl (opa), considered a sign of bad luck, and these men
wore the feather of this same owl. It is said to be easy to stop
the noise of a screech owl. The peafowl feather stood for pros-
perity and happy anticipations, because the peafowl calls out before
daybreak, and so most of the men in the tribe wore such feathers.
A hawk feather was worn by an active, intelligent man. Crow
""An uncertain identification. " Winter berry " is the only common name in Lowe's
" Plants of Mississippi " resembling the word " elderberry " used by Simpson. However,
Miss Caroline Dorman, an authority on southern flora, thinks it is a berry popularly
known as " India berry " and probably not an Ilex.