The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-25
Indian Affairs In Minnesota.
SPEECH OF WALKING THUNDER-THE ROUND DANCE,
ETC, ETC.

Indian Affairs In Minnesota.
SPEECH OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ROUND DANCE,
ETC, ETC.
A correspondent of the St. Paul (Mn) Pioneer,
writing from Traverse de Sieax, under date Of the
18th inst, says This seems to be the region of
pivot of tempests-the shift
ng place of the winds. Clouds fly around and
over it, driven by everchanging atmospheric cur
rents, intermingling sunshine and shower in the
same hour, and mixing up the elements Of weather,
rather finer than we like to have them sl ,ed. The
Indians, who dislike rain and fear thunder, have
taken the subject of the weather into careful con-
sideration, being de ermined to have a different
state Of things. This morning one of the chiefs,
Walking Thunder, made a speech to this effect.
I" This high water is unusual The Great Spirit
does not smile. He growls at US. Something does
not suit him. Our corn-felds, where they
Our young men cannot hunt The powder in our
rifles is wet. 1t will not burn. We kill no game
nothing. Our Great Father gives Us little beef and
a little corn, since came TO the treaty. But We
are poor, very poor. Our ribs may be counted like
the poles of lodge frame, through the skin. Corn
will not grow without sunshine, and if we have
nothing to eat, We must starve Our horses are
thin. We thought they could run some but even
SLasta Wasta's (Mr. Tyler's) horse outrun
our fastest buffalo nag Our dogs are lean, very
lean. They are too poor to bark They howl a
little sometimes, but very feebly. We are glad
Father came up here with little corn and
little beef, and it may be few slices of pork, for
US to eat. We were very hungry, and We are yet.
way
reason is that the Great Spirit gives them more food
We do not like so much rain; it is more than there
is any use of. (do hob Our tents are soaked
with water 1t pains us to have our women loaded
down with wet baggage when We travel. We can
not bear it. Ii may be the steamboats, drove this
food up the river when they came. The boats
brought up little corn and little beef and il may
be slice of pork They are welcome. (tio ho.D
lltrr ladr ara bal. Eath fant
are not peaked. The Great Spirit rains on both
But there is too much thunder and rain and sharp
lightning. We want more beef AMI less thunder
They say the Great Thunder Bird has dashed his
wing upon the head Of the Blue Earth river and bro
ken open fountain out ofwhich this freshet comes
1t was whispered to me in dream, that ought
to have round dance this afternoon. (Io no, ho.)
1t may save US much thunder, and lightning, and
rain. II our Great Father wants to buy our land,
we will talk with him about it at a proper time.
Our Great Father has several cattle left yet. There
is no hurry. Beef is good for the red man, but
cookoosh (pork) is not very IL our Great Fathers
it instead Object Probably, because like whis-
key, they think beef is not wholesome for US. Clio
no hoD We will attend the rouad dance this az
ternoon, and Try to aay the storm and apPease the
Evil Spirit. The wing Of the Thunder Bird must
be broken" (Ho no hoD
Accordingly, in the afternoon, the round dance
was made ready. The spot selected was nearly half
mile back Of the river, upon the plain between the
fact our whole camp was present, and perhaps 1000
Indians Of the several bands. The theatre Of this
religious dance was circular enclosure, made up
Of the limb Of the aspen stuck in the ground, inter-
woven with four arched gateways, one towards each
point Of the compass, making about the size
Of a large circus.
pole was planted in the middle Of the area.
with image cut out Of bark designed TO represent
the Thunderbird, hanging suspended by a string
from it's top. At each Of the four arched gateways
stood another pole and image of the same descrip-
tion, but smaller than the in the centre. Near
the foot of the central pole was a little arbor of
aspen bushes, in which sat ugly locking Indian,
with his face blackened, and a wig Of green grasS
his head, who acted tor,erer, and uttered in.
carnations and prophecies with feryent JUNCTION,
and beat the drum, and played on the Indian flute,
and sung, by turns, to regulate the various eYolu
tions Of the dance
Before this arbor at the foot Of the central pole.
were various mystical emblems-the image Of a
running buffalo, cut out Of bark, with his legs stuck
IN the ground; also pipe and n red stone. shaped
something like head with some colored shavings
moss, other aterial the Uranium 10 represent
hair This red is said to represent the Spirit
of Evil TO be appeased. At a signal given by the
sorcerer the Dung men sprang in through the gate
ways, and commenced a cir sular dance, in pro-
cession, around the sorcerer, who continued TO
sing aud 70 beat his drum; and occasionally
changed the order Of dancing, or afforded the dam
ccrs respite, by blowing upon his hute. The
dancing = the same sort Of double hop, or Shaker
step, which see in their Medicine and Scalp
dances. After ID o. ~ minutes of violent exercise,
the dancers ran out Of ne ring, returning af.er a
short respite.
In the third set, a few hOrsemen. in very gay,
costume, accompanied the procession Of
dancers within the area, by riding around outside
Of the enclosure. in the fourth and last SET null
titude Of boys and girls joined the band Of dan
GERS in the area, and many more hOrsemen joined
the cavalcsde, that rode swift aud more swiftly
around the area. some dressed in blue embroider-
ed blankets, Others in white; and every horseman,
AZ he sklfully and swiftly rode, a subject for the
painter, the music quickeuing and the excited per-
formers flying like whirlpool Of fantastic men
and horses-an exhibition so rare aud strange that
in New York, q WEIGH would make a fortune out
Of il in a month, as an equestrian show SD
denly, nj the end % the fourth act several rifles
we're discharged at the poles upon which the thun-
der birds were suspended cutting them all in
stantly down; when the curtain fell and all dis
persed. 30 ended the round dance-the most i'm
posing exhibition, probably, that Is ever secnamong
the Sioux.
soon after, the headsmen and chiefs Of a large
band Of ndians, just arrived from Lake Traverse,
With Mr.. Riggs, called upon the commissioners,
and were presented with beef. They said they
very hungry, and their looks certainly zorro
borated what they said
Shakopce, (Six or Half-a-Dozen,) is 20 leave
with HE band for home to morrow. They are
not wanted here, but at their own village, where
they will meet with the lower bands to treat. They
lowed the cattle up. Shakopce will no; have ano-
Their opportunity here, Of Boosting 90 the other
Indians, that he casually dimes with the comms-
sioners by invitation" Shakopee's men are now
leading their horses into the river, and swimming
them across to the other side, each horse swimming
by the side Of canoe; they heave TO land FAR below
here.
DrsrrrrrIov AND DEATH-We are informed,
from a reliable source. that within two or three