The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-01-04
from The Natioaai Intellio tnce

NE cAOOA, Oh LA HIKE IAH NATION,
recent visit to that department. of The Blu
reau OF Indian Affairs that is under the manage
ment OF Henry r. Schoolcraft, Esq. has elected
the following lacts respecting the Sioux, or
Dah.ko-tah Indians:
The territory now claimed by this nation ia
principally watered by the st. Peters river, and
is about nine hundred miles in length, and from
two to hive hundred in width The original
name OF the tribe was Dah- o.tah, the interpre-
tation OF which is said to be contederacv or a
united nation, the name OF Sioux for which there
seems to be no acknowledged meaning. bayinp
been given to them by the early Jesuit mission.
aries. The population OF this tribe is estimated
at about fifteen thousand and they are divided
into bands numbering from fifty TO a thousand
souls
Occupying as they do an immense prairie re-
gion, they make use of the horse instead of the
canoe, and the wealth OF the Sioux chief ia uni
versally estimated by the number oil his horses
Private rights are respected among them Thu,
compute time by the four seasons. but the;.
month only contains twenty sht DAYS. They
designate the month OF January as the hard moon
February, the month in which the racoon rms
Marcn, me moon OF sore eyes; April, the moon
when the geese lay; May the moon for nlantinn.
June, the moon for straw berries and hoeino corn
July, the midsummer moon; August tbe moor
for gathering corn; September, the moon hen
they gather wild rice; October and November
the moons Tor running the doe and December
the moon when the deer sheds his horns
Ihey are Kind to their sick, but take more care
OF their youth than they do of their old men
Ihey are averse to the custom OF bleeding and
seldom draw blood excepting in severe cases of
Illness. lhelr medicines are chiefly composed
OIL roofs ana plants, and they never make use OF
metallic medicines. They are partial to vanor
baths. In fhar 10. a..
diseases. Their bodily sickness thew frequently
attribute to the displeasure of some animal which
they have hunted with difficulty and slain.
Inc Sioux Indians consider it lawful to take
the lie OF fellow being by way of revenge. but
great crime to take lie under anv other cir
cumstances. They invariably have great fear
Tor the spirits OF the Dead ~ho they think have
the power OF njuring the living and tits thought
thal 'hls lear Is what prevents them from com
III, murders more frequently than they do.
The practice of lying is considered as exceediug.
ly wrong.
They believe in Great Spirit but have M
definite idea OF his attributes. Whenever an,
caiamiIy happens to them, they alege that the
Great spirit Is angry, and so, when thsv reca;vo
blessing, they acknowledge it as COMING tro,n
the same being They look on the death oS =
human being as manifestation of divine a.;
pressure. Ihey resort at times to sacrifices. and
cases nave oeen known where Sioux fathers have
sacrlnced their children to appease the anger If
the Great Spirit. They are much afraid ot a
creature which they look upon as kind of YAM
pire, and to see this creature Is sure s;o,,.
preaching death. y 'p-
lhey are exceedingly superstiticus in reoo-a
70 nre which they consider gift from the Great
spirit. In former times they obtained II iron,
friction OF wood, but at the present time ch;an,,
ron me hint When about TO partake Of rel;g.
ious Ieast, they remove all the old fire from ,bs
lodge, and rekindle it for the purpose If cooL;n
the ood, so that they NAV be sure that No.
be nothing unclean about the feast Theu 49,
no idols or images which they worshin bpt arc
IN The habit OF making offerings OF tobacco and
otner articles which they value.
lhey venerate the rattlesnake and seldor, or
never deprive 1t of lite, excepuDg when thev
wish 10 employ Its skin and rattes in their incan
,dtions' hey believe in iairies which thew al.
'ege nave the power of taking the form Of apv
animals ana oil living either on land ar in the
wafer all their rivers and lakes are closely 90
socia'ed win little people They look upon thpn.
ger as emanatlng from large bird Amonu tha,
lanieo monsters they acknowledle hinge Grant
VINO can destroy an Indian by the eIanee Of h;s
eye. " "''
men man dies they place his remains uno,
scanoid, which they ornament with tronh;os ~
war; and when the flesh has deoaved thew b,,r :,
Tue Dones Ia the earth, and cover the grave with
pie8c's' or rude house. They do not bury in a
s','hg posture, but invariably cothe the deceas-
ca IN MS hnest robes, covering him with all bis
lavorite ornaments. They express their grief
at the loss OF a friend by cutting off the hair
gong Dareiootet, dismal shoutings muhla,;n -
'"'A' OOuieS' ana Dy making feast for the dead.