The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-01-31
The Sioux sun Dance.

.sMai6r.G General Curtis writes to his
wife from Fort Sally, the following &C.
count Of one Of thehorfible detnonstra-
tionssof,tEs Sioux IndiEus, which ht
Witnessed recently near the Fottt:"i e@.., a.
The whole of the three thousand
Sioux camped about as gave me early
Information Of their. design % have the
aHAuatasnh dance at this time and place,
the season Of the year, the trees in full
leaf, having now arrived and they
wished me to inform Col, Recor, the
commander of the soldiers, that however
hOisterOm their demonstrations might
be, they would alb be peaGeaBls and Of
a pious character, i-lL r.:i ggs., ggat *
,,Op yesterday, June /, the dancing
was delayed at intervals tolallow tor
tnres to be inflicted, Two or three
Ihehlstood over the devotee with needle
a9d knife, very quietly performing
pehance according 70 The custom Of all
these sacerdotal rites as follows; First,
they cut the arms in several yplaces.iby
striking ap ,awl in. the skin, raising 1T
and eating out about half an inchE
YhiSis done on both arms, and some
times ION the breast and back. Then
wooden setops (sticks about the thick
ness, ,of cohp6n lead pehciD are IN
serted through a hole ,ip the skin and
flesh. Then cords Of ropes Ire attached
to these sticks by one end, and to the
pole at the other end, the victim pulling
OBJ ;therropes till the seton sticks tear
out the flesh and skin. saw one with
two setons attached to his breast, pull
ing TIL 1t seemed to draw the skin out
three inches, and finally requiring his
whole might to tear ont the seton. d,
One painted black had four ropes at
oness The pulling out is done in the
dance, the pulling carried on in the time
Of TIE music by Jerk, jerk, jerk, and the
eye, head and front all facing the sun in
the form Of supplication. = One had four
scipns attached to four dry Buffalo head
boaeGe These were all strung and sus.
pended to bis flesh by ropes that raised
each headsOme three feet off the ground
He danced hard TO tear them out, but
they would not break the skin. One
cane of the stick accidentally, but it
was again fastened. Finally these
heavy weights(each al least twenty-five
podhds weighD not tearing out by their
own weight and motion, the devotee
gave q a,comFade a horse TO take. hold of
the rope and tear out the setons. While
these men were thus tortured, their
female relations same ia and had pieces
cHf.0ut Of their arms to show their ap-
precision and yaIor, aud devotion to
their kinsmen. Still as soon as the
victim could be prepared, the music
was renewed, and the dismal dance
went on, victlms' bodies now mingled
with blood paint and setons,
There being several steamboats, and
many soldiers here, : crowd Of specta-
toFsrathst embarrassed the performers,
so thesC concluded the performance at
t%slte O'Clock, having only danced
tweptySfonFi hours instead Of forty
eight, Ias they. usuallY do. All the
ddt6tees gave away Ell their ponies and
other Yaluables to their friends, had
their wounds carefully dressed BY at
teIdAnt medical men, and sat down to
an abundant feast Of dog soup and
nm
So ended this most barbarous and
painful athlbitlon Of savage idolatry.
The picture is still deeply impressed on
my senses, bat ! cah6ot give bali. the
horror of the scene, either by pen or |
pencil, naos ireol tlfs t. 1ono'e'ig'lio) ls'