PLANTS USED IN DYES. Process of Dyeing

The general process of dyeing among the Chippewa consisted in the use of a vegetable substance to secure a color and of a mineral substance to “set” it. Porcupine quills were the articles most easily dyed, and they retain their color longest. Rushes are the hardest material to dye and often require several “dippings” before the desired shade can be procured. Yarn and ravelings of blankets were among the materials most frequently colored by the Chippewa women. Wooden implements were colored by rubbing them with the fresh root of the blood-root, producing an orange shade.