Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-08-01

lean. They are too poor 10 bark. they
howl little sometimes, but very feebly.
We are glad our Father came up here
with little corn and little beef, and il
may be few slices of pork, for rs TO eat.
We were very hungry, and we are yet.
The Red Man is always hungry. The
White young men are fat. They look
very sleek and greasy. The reason is
that the Great Spirit gives them more
food. We do not like so much rain; il
is more than there is any use of. Ho !!
no Our tents are soaked with water.
II pains us to have our women loaded
down with wet baggage when we travel.
We cannot Dear il. II may be the steam
boats drove this food up the river when
they came. The boats brought up lit
tie corn, anda little beef. and il may be
slice of pork. They are Welcome
Ho! ho!]
s.Our lodges are packed; our Great
Fathers tents are now packed. The
Great Spirit rains on both. But there
is too much thunder, and rain and sharp
lightning. We want more beef and less
thunder. They say the Grea, Thunder
| Bird has dashed his wing upon the head
OF the Blue Earth river, and broken open
fountain out of which this freshes
comes. II was whispered 10 me in
dream, that we ought TO have round
dance this afternoon, ho! no! ho!l |,
may save us much thunder, lightning
and rain. If our Great Father wants to
buy our land, we will talk with him a.
bout it a, proper time. Our great Fa-
Their has several cattle left yet. There
is no hurry. Beef is good for the Red
Man, but cookoosk pork is not very.
Ii our Great Fathers children think SO
much of cookoosh. why do they not eat
il, instead of beef! Probably, because like
whisky, they think beef not wholesome
for us. Ho! ho! ho!] We will attend
the Round dance this afternoon, and try
TO aIlay The storm and appease the Evil
Spirit. The wing Of The Thunder Bird
must be broken" Ho! no! ho!1
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 first and second bench. The Com
mission, and in fact our whole camp was
present, and perhaps 1000 Indians Of the
several bands. The theatre Of the re-
ligious dance, was circular enclosure
made up OF the limbs of the aspen stuck
in the ground, interviewer with four arch
ed galeways, one toward each point of
the compass, making an area of about the
size of large circus.
A pole was planted in the middle of
the area. with an image Gu, out of bark,
designed TO represent the Thunder bird.
hanging suspended by a string from It's
top. At each of the four arched gate
ways stood another pole and image of the
same description, but smaller than the
one in the centre. Near the foot Of the
central pole was little arbor Of aspen
bushes. in which sat an ugly looking In
dian, with his face blackened, and wig
Of green grass on his head, who acted as
sorcerer, and uttered incantations and
prophecies with fervent JUNCTION, and beat
| the drum and played on the Indian flute,
and sung, by turns, TO regulate the vari-
Gus evolution of the dance.
| Before this arbor, at the toot of the
central pole, were various mystical en-
blems-.he image of a running buffalo
cut out of bark, with his legs stuck in
the ground; also pipe and red stone,
shaped something like head, with some
colore9 shavings, moss. or other materi-
| al, on the Uranium, to represent hair
This red stone is said to represent the
Spirit of Evil to be appeased. AT a sig
nal given by the sorcerer, the young
men sprang in through lhegateways and
commenced circular dance, in process
sion, around the sorcerer, who continued
to sing and beat his drum, and oeea-
sionlly changed The order of dancing, or
afforded the dancers respite, by blow
ing on his flute. The dancing is the
same sort of doubIe-hop. or Shaker-step,
which we see in their medicine and
scalp dances. After fifteen or twenty
minutes of violent exercise. the dancers
ran out Of the ring. returning after short
respite.
In the third set, few horsemen, in very
gay fantastic costume, accompanied the
procession of dancers within the area,
BY riding aroand outside Of the Enclosure.
In the fourth and last set, multitude of
boys ana girls joined the band oil dancers
in the area, and many more hnrsemen
j Joined the eavalcade that rode swift and
more swiftly around The area, some dress
ed in blue embroidered blankets, others in
white; and every horsemen, as he skill
fully and swiftly rode, subject for the
painter, the music quickening and the ex-
cited performers flying like whirlpool
of fantastic men and horses--an exhibit
ton SO rare and strange, that in New
York, WEIGH would make a fortune
out of il in month, as an equestrian
show. Suddenly at the end ofihe fourth
act, several rifles were discharged at the
4 poles upon which the Thunder-birds
were suspended, cutting them all Instant
ly down; when the curtain fell. and all
dispersed. So ended the Round dance.
the most imposing exhibition. probably,
that is ever seen among the Sioux.