| Feasts were a social event for the Plains Indians with all the members of a community usually in attendance. The women made nutritious dishes for these gatherings with a variety of wild vegetables such as onions, turnips and carrots, a varied mixture of berries and nuts, and, in addition to buffalo meat, meat from elk, deer, antelope and mountain sheep were prepared and taken to the feast. Small game animals such as jack rabbits, sage chickens and pheasants were also served and some of the Plains tribes ate fish. The meat was generally added to soups and stews, roasted over an open fire or served in dried strips. Early Plains Indian woman cooked in pits, using heated stones with the meat and vegetables wrapped in hides. Later, kettles were made utilizing the buffalo paunch. These paunches would be hung from stick frames, the food placed inside and covered with water, then heated stones dropped in to bring the water to a boil. Meat was broiled by placing it next to flames, holding it over the fire on roasting sticks or hanging the skewered chunks on a moistened rawhide strip to prevent burning through the leather. Feasts were a time to socialize with one another. Women generally performed their cooking tasks in the company of other women, while men visited with one another and children ran about and played games. |
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