Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Spotted Dog on May 18, 2015, 02:18:34 pm

Title: Plains bow questions
Post by: Spotted Dog on May 18, 2015, 02:18:34 pm

I started cutting out an osage bow stave.  54" long. I want to make a plains style out of it. My Great-grandmother was Mesquakie. I can't
find anything on their bows. Where should I look ?  If I can't do that one I thought a Cheyenne or Comanche . Right now stave is 1 1/4 wide tapered to 5/8 ".
About an inch thick full length.

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: half eye on May 18, 2015, 02:50:30 pm

Dog....let me see if I can find something.
rich

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: Sasquatch on May 18, 2015, 05:27:11 pm

Quote from: half eye on May 18, 2015, 02:50:30 pm

Dog....let me see if I can find something.
rich

Half eye I didn't know that you spoke ghetto

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: PatM on May 18, 2015, 06:12:56 pm

   Not really a Plains tribe.

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: JonW on May 18, 2015, 07:11:42 pm

Isn't the Mesquakie the same as Fox? I'm just thinking off the top of my head. If they are the same, a short rectangular cross section bow would get real close.

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: Spotted Dog on May 18, 2015, 07:34:24 pm

yes they are the same. Called the Fox by the French in the late 17th century.  I guess if you want to be technical they are prairie/plains.
Pushed west and south by the Ottawa . At war with the Sioux . Hated by the French. 1740s Fox wars. Settled in Iowa, Missouri, and some in Nebraska.
Joined the Sac during and after the Fox wars. SAC/FOX. They own their land in Tama , Iowa.
When my grandmother married a white man the native blood was hush hush . All history of her family died when my moms oldest brother died.
He lived with them according to his son for a while long time ago. Sad heritage to loose.

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: PatM on May 18, 2015, 09:58:23 pm

I guess it depends which portion of their history you choose to select as representative. Seems they would be more Woodland than anything else.
  Did they adopt a true Plains culture like other former Woodland Indians to the extent that their origins are almost forgotten?

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: Spotted Dog on May 18, 2015, 11:37:36 pm

Really more great lakes culture. They did adopt the horse culture too. Not sure on the forgetting. More survival since
the French wanted total genocide on them. Reasoning for joining the Sac.  The woodlands were a lot further east.
Ohio river basin, and north. Seems most or maybe a lot of tribes were pushed west and became plains culture.
The Iroquios Confederacy did a lot of forcing relocation early on.

Title: Re: Plains bow questions
Post by: chef-d405 on May 19, 2015, 12:40:14 am

Check out Jim Hamm's books on native american bows. Available from Bois D'Arc Press. Pretty much the authoritative work on it.