Stoney Camp at Millarville

The following is a sample of what you might have heard at a Stoney camp if you were to listen to a mother, a young girl and a hunter. As each person was passed the talking stick, it was their turn to speak and this might be part of their conversation.

Mother

"This is very hard work that I have to do. Each morning when I get up I need to collect sticks for the fire so that I can dry the meat and berries that the hunters bring home. I lay the meat very carefully in strips over the fire so that it can dry out. I also have to cut off all of the fat for pemmican. It is very hard work and I am tired.
During the day I need to watch for the children to make sure that they are safe while they play. It is my job to help with the tipis. The tipis is made out of buffalo hide and is very, very heavy. It is very colorful and has a different sign on the door so that you know whose tipis it is. We use sinew and porcupine needles to do the sewing. It is very hard work and I am tired."

Young Girl

"I like to play games and most of the time I play with my doll. It is made out of buffalo hide and stuffed with grass and has fancy beads on it. I like my doll.
I also like to play games. One of my favorite is a game with sticks and we try to see who can build the fastest tipis. I sometimes win this game.
There is also a hoop game that I like to play. You make a circle from branches and roll the circle along the ground with your hand. When it gets going really fast you try to throw a rock through the middle without hitting anything. It is fun.
The boys practice pushing each other off of their horses so they can learn to stay on and be brave. I don't get to play this game and I really don't want to.
There is another game that is a guessing game where you hold out sticks and try to guess the one that has the paint on it. We play this one a lot. I love to play games all day."

A Hunter

"I raise early each morning when the 7 stars are over the tipis. I like to hunt alone but most of the time I hunt with others in my camp. I hunt the buffalo. The buffalo is the largest mammal in North America. They eat grass and wild flowers and live up to 25 years old. Their tail is used for a flyswatter or a whip. The tongue is the best part because it is chewy like gum. I always bring the best parts back to my camp. Then I stick a pole in the ground and hang the meat. I hunt on horseback now but before we had horses, I would hunt with a wolf skin on my back so I could sneak up and kill the buffalo.
We don't hunt in the trees because there are too many spirits in the trees. Sometimes we burn the forest so it is easier to hunt.
We use the buffalo stomach to cook our food. The hooves are made into glue and rattles and the horns make good spoons, cups, headdress and toys. We use all of the buffalo."