Litchfield enquirer., 1870-05-26
INDIANS.

INDIANS.
 On entering Genesee valley discovered that the Indians were burying one of their tribe. We tied our horses and mules and proceeded to the place of burial. This was on the hillside back of their "Hobodas" (villages). The deceased had been an In- dian of note. There were about two hun dred of his tribe assembled around his grave. His immediate relations were tear ing and mutilating themselves in fearful manner. They, some of them, dress very well, but generally wear cast off clothing of the whites. This day they were we'll clad and had their faces covered with a mixture of pitch and charcoal even exten- ding into the hair. This mixture wi Il not wear off short of a year and can scarcely be scraped of. They always wear it 1.-two grasses" two years) sometimes longer, and the ''mohala" "(wife) generally wears mourn ing till married again. They look perfect ly frightful. It is said by some that they burn their dead, and mixing the ashes with pitch, make this style of mourning. It was not so in this case. The Indian was buried with blanket around him and with two fine horses, gun. some acorns, and 8 dog. On his grave were placed food and clothing. Their sorrow seemed very sin cere. They can be seen months after, at sundown, prostrated on the graves of lov- ed ones, burning clothes. baskets and other valuables. The settlers are in 8 measure preventing them from destroying their horses, and the young Indians are fast be- coming civilized as regards destruction of anything they can sell for whiskey. The old men denounce the practice of drinking, ''Make bad Ipjun, much fghty, too much talky, no good Injun. drink'um bad, bad, &c." The most of them work for the whites and are quite reliable, living at home on fish and soup of acorn meal. The women gather the acorns in the fall and spring, placing them in cribs of bark. They are dried, the shell taken of, and then pound ed with flour or meal, on flat stone with another stone. They have no cooking utensils. They make baskets, water tight, in which cooking is done. The mode oi heating the water is very simple. They heat stones and put in the water which soon boils. They then sprinkle in the meal, heat more stones and boil till done. I ate some of this pudding and found ii very lpalatable. :, The fish they cook in the ashes-also their potatoes. For drinka' bles they have sassafras tea, and other herbs found in the valleys.
 Their houses are made in the form .o1 huts, a pole in the centre, with roo of bark and brush covered with dirt. They are about fifteen feet in diameter, with an entrance some six feet long-a sort of tun' nel so low that one has to crawl on hands and knees to enter. They sleep sitting up on the ground, with their feet towards the fire, which is near the center of the hut. The smoke ascends and passes out through the cracks in the roof, causing, according to the theory of our early Puritanic an' cestors, ca healthy atmosphere" They seem very happy people, entirely careles; and thoughtless of the morrow. They al ways meet and have their "1ndian Sun Idav." which consists of advice from theil ;" Medicine Men," outdoor exercises, ,splay ing ball, wolf, &c.,, &c. At night, the men and mohalas dance in separate apartments, perfectly nude, and when warm, go down Ito the river and lie in the water till cool lThese meetings occur every eight or ten ldays-frst at one, and then at another "Ho- lboda." The several families of the tribe