Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-03-14

OF mine examining small mound, few
years ago in the West dug up the skele-
ton Of babe, and by its side was found
the rude rattle with which it had been
accustomed to beguile its little sorrows.
can appreciate the feelings of that moth
er, who, knowing no better. buried with
herinfant childits deardst toy Butthe lit
tie ones need no human articles to secure
their happiness. They go to the bosom
of him who said, Suffer the little chill
dren TO come unto me, and forbid them
not, for Of such is the kingdom of God" ="
While the near relatives of the deceased
survive, they annually revisit their coffin
canoes and furnish the dead with new
blankets or robes. An old Indian told
Rev. Bro. ". " Your nation do not care
for your people when they die. You
wrap in their clothing and bury them in
a box, and you care no more about
them. We care for our people. We
give them new blankets every year."
On the upper Columbia, houses Ike
an Indian lodge are built for the dead.
They are called Memlouse houses. AT
the Cascades, two of these houses were
built near the portage round the rapids
One Of them is still in good repair. Some
boards or planks are used inits construc-
ton which they have ornamentcd with
rude figures of animals and of the human
face. The other has fallen to decay and
great quantities of human bones are scat
tered about it. Riding by the bones one
day in company with some Indians, !
looked to see if I could detect any rever-
ence they had for Tire place Of the dead.
But / could detect nqthing. Perhaps no
dear friend Of their reposed there. In
some places l saw red streamers flying
from poles raised over the home Of the
dead. in other places tin pans, pals,
kettles, &c, are suspended over their
graves. These articles, however, are
broken or rendered useless for ordinary
purposes, 50 that no vile person would be
tempted to carry them away from their
consecrated grounds.
The ceremonies of the Indians have
been so frequently portrayed that shall
not attempt to describe them. A friend
Of mine who attended the council Of the
Indian Commissioner during the raast
summer in the Walla XyaIla county re-
lated to me ceremony somewhat differ
ent from any / have seen described. Il
seemed to combine the manifestations oi
opposite affections-revenge, gloryine
over the fall of an enemy, and the tender
passion seeking its reciprocal manifesto
tion. A large circle of young maidens
was formed standing closely as possible
TO each other. In the centre was an old
woman holding up the scalp of an enemy
When the native music commenced the
young maidens with exact time wotllal
dance in unison, leaping from the ground
and advancing perhaps, some three o.
four inches at time in their circuit
around the centre. The old woman in
the centre was with horrid grimaces and
violent gesticulations pouring contempt
upon the quivering scalp, and showing
how she would utterly destroy her enc
mics, and feeding the revenge of som,
bereaved family whose circle had been
broken by some one of the race whose
scalp was the exhibited, or initiating the
vanity Of some valient brave who la(
brought in the scalp as peculiar martha
trophy. But the young people, it tseemed
were far from indulging the feelings 0
war. As the maidens came round IA,
circle, in their dance, a young Indian
would gently tap on the shoulder of tn
maiden whom he would specially honor
and if his regard was mutually recipro
Gated, some outward expression would b
made, to the evident satisfaction of tn
: young gallant; but if the maiden shove
. by eountenance or waive Of the hand tia
his suit was rejected, the young man SUI
fered no little modification under tn
tauntings and loud laughter Of his assc
: eiates. Rather a perilous mode It woul
; seem to read human hearts.
No traces of outward worship cxii
among the Oregon Indians. In this re
spect all our aborigines are similar. Thei
9 medicine men have certain incarnation
in which spiritual agencies are invoEe'
but as a race they build 10 altars, the
have no distinct religious rites, and -
they acknowledge a experimenting pow
" er, and believe in future state o.
: missionaries we're the first to enter III
: country. They reached Oregon in til
fall Of 1884, fhe Presbyterian in 1888
u The Episoopalians in 1887, and the Cat
olics in 1888. The Episeopalians hay
a diocese in Oregon under the care
81 tg.-t ez.t n = J-.I..,I IT,. o.. -.