National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-10-07
A Peculiar Religion.

The Deseret Ne,cs says that the Moauis
occupy six villages, located some dis
tance south of the Colorado river. The
thousand Valpie is the name of the
principle village. They differ from
Indians generally, having dark brown
hair and eyes instead of black, and dark
skin, but net copper-colored. Their re-
Egion cannot be strictly called idolatrous,
as they do not worship images, but con-
slider them the representation of ideas.
| Their religious rites and ceremonies
appear to be simple and at least harmless
in their tendencies. They call their
deity " Tow-wan -e-na, or Sun Father.
| They believe that he governs that orb,
and has the dispensing of his blessings
of light and heat. This god is represent
ed by an image. made of wood and stone,
| of n favorite chief, who died more than
three generations ago. The parsonage
now residing in the heavens, from which
he dispenses the blessing of life, and
especially those of rain and fruitful
seasons, upon the faithful If his CHI. lren
are not humble and obedient he punish
ed them by Withdrawing his blessings.
/ The "How-we ona," or sacred temple,
is the head workshop of the village, but
at the time of religious ceremonies it is
vacated by the laborers and used eX-
clusively for sacred performances The
representative of their deity sits enthron-
ed on a rude pedestal in the north end
/ of the building. Its head and breast
are decorated with costly beads and
/ feathers and strings of sacred sea shells,
/ which We're worn by their fathers, who
came from the seashore. The eyes OF
/ the image are directed to the middle oi
the floor, where are placed wooden
images of all kinds of domestic fowls,
such as doves, chickens, &c These
images are painted and decorated with
feathers in imitation Of nature. BY the
side Of these images of fowls are placed
the skins of wild beasts. hung on a pole
of the musical plant among these that
Of the fox predominates, as that anima
is considered more sacred than others
Corn and water are placed before the
fowls. In worshiping their deity. the
men form in rows in front of the image
and speak and sing in his praise, accom-
panied by the music Of rude Instruments
among which is curiously constructed
flute. which had descended to then
from their forefathers There was bu
one religious ceremony in which the
women joined the men. The head work
shop is the great central place of WORSHIP
in village, but there are also othe
minor ones. The principal religions
ceremonies take place in the month o
February.
In the centre of this village is publ,
square, where there is wide stone alta
about two feet high and three square
On this, sacrifices of food are laid OF
sacred days. Among those offerings is
small buckskin sack containing holy meal
Around this altar men dance in rotation
During the ceremony the aged men are
women of the village take inch of tn
holy meal, breathe on it, sprinkle a littl
ON the backs of the dancers and throw
little to the west, east, north and south
This is the signal for the dance to breal
mp. The ideas and principles of thei
religion are eminentlv Utilitarian. Fhe,
dictate all the relations Of life. The
rehgiouslv abhor an indolent man, an,
order is the first law of every househol
and of every public institution and cere
mOny.