Musselshells were used as ornaments, worn as gorgets. They were also placed by fasting altars, as offerings. A number of rivers were named bei’i’iiniicie (‘shell river’), including the North Platte River and the Michigan River in North Park, Colorado.
These shells could also be used as small containers - for catching blood of game so it could be cooked and eaten, or as a spoon for medicine, according to Kroeber. Also, because they were smooth and slippery, they were used as ‘charms’ to help women give birth, Kroeber reports.