Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-03-16
uANDAN INDIANS.

The rssoec,able editor Of thu New 70,
Commercial, BY publishing thu ietters I
DR.. CatIin. endorses them; bd for shi
we should hesitate to give credt to thu
which follows:
Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
August II, 1884
Dear Sir would gladly shrAk from
the undertaking which am now bout /
commence, did not feel bound y tn
promise in my last letter, to give on ;
description Of an annual religious cerc
mony. which I witnessed a short tim'
since in this village, in company will
two other gentlemen, who were witt mt
in continual attendance for four Gays
that we might lose nothing Of this strargt
exhibition. With my enthusiasm for To-
Indian character, l took great interest u
witnessing every form and feature ofihess
rites.-and consequently was most o
the time too much engaged to think Of my
meals.
From the high standing held amongs
them as a "Medicine man, in couse
quencc Of my art, gained admission in
to the Medicine Lodge. with nv tw.
friends.-where we witnessed the whole
PREPARATION Of their secret medicines anc
1ocus pocus operations, together with hor
rible scenes Of cruelty which they prac.
tised upon their own bodies.
Before I proceed further, however,
will detain you for moment TO give you
some idea Of their Religious creed, and
ehcn proceed with my description.
found by close interrogation, that they he
lieye in the existence Of a Great (Good|
epirt.-and also in the existence Of Bad
Spirit, who they say existed long before
%he Good Spirit. and is tar superior in
power. They all believe ia future exis.
tence, and in future state Of rewards and
puni,hments, and las do all other tribes
that have visited, they believe that pun
,shment is not eternal, but commensurate
with their sins. These people, living in
i dwsste where they suffer extremely
from Gold in the severity Of the winters,
have very naturally reversed our ideas OF
Heaven and He'll. The latter they de-
scribe as country very far TO the north,
and Of barron and hideous aspect, and
covered with eternal SHOWS; the torments
Of this freezing place they describe as
most cxcrutiating. Whilst Heaven they
suppose to be in a more warm and delight
full latitude, where nothing is felt but the
keenest enjoyment. and where the c,.un-
try abounds with buffalo and other luxu-
RES Of life. God Cor the Great Spirit)
they believe dwells in He'll, for the pur-
pose Of there meeting those who have Of
Tended him, increasing the agonv Of their
suffer,ngs by being himself present and
administering the penalties. The Bad
Spirit they conceive to be in Heaven, still
tempting the happy, whose happiness is
increased By their successful resistance Of
bis temptations. Their belief Is that
those who go to He'll are tormen ed there
and suffer for time, proportioned to the
amount Of their transgressions, and that
thew are then to be transferred to the lard
nf the happy, where they are again light
70 the temptations Of the Devil, and au-
swerablc again at a future period, for
their new transgressions.
The Annual Ceremony Tor o-kee-pa, as
.hev call it) is by them considered reIi-
aious ceremony, wherein, by INJECTING
Of the most cruel and pain
.ul kind, upon their own bodies, they ex-I
pcct to appease the Almighty, receive
pardon for THAR sins past, and promise
Of future success in hunting, and in bat
Ties with their enemies.
1t is also observed, partly in commence
ration Of the event Of the subsiding Of the |
Hood. (mee-ne to-ka-ha-sha, Of which.
their traditions and manner Of conducting
these ceremonies afford abundant proof
that they have some knowledge, and the
strict adherence to the celebration Of
which event they look upon as an indis-
part Of their religious worship
The continual herds Of Buffalo which an.
1roach their village throughout the wear
md supply them with abundance Of meat.
hey suppose to be brought in, in couse.
iuence Of this ceremony, which they con-
,ider absolutely necessary for their an
roach. In the centre Of their village. is
, circular area Of $50 feet in diameter.
which is kept vacant for all their shows
md public ceremonies. One of the LODI
res. fronting this circle, is called the Med +.
cine Lodge. tie he-pe-nec) being Is fee; f,
n diameter and never opened but for the :
Of some Of their mysteries or
nedlcine. During these occasions, the !,
most rigid rules of secrecy are observed. !
. the exclusion Of strangers and even oil ,
heir own villagers, excepting such as :
re, BY their honors or renown, entitled to :
omission
The season Of the year when this ce,e- :