Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-11
Indians Burying Their Dead.

While the subject of cremation is at
uactlng so much attention, some OF our
readers may be interested in knowing
now some of the California Indians dis
pose OF their dead 1t is somewhat singu-
lar mat although in some districts in the
State some Indians burn and others bury
their dead, they all prepare them for final
disposition in the same manner. A
blanket Is spread on the ground and the
corpse laid upon it; brother or some
other relative, after folding the limbs
upon the chest with the knees toward the
chm, proceeds to bend the body and
nmos together as tightly as possible. 1t
Is then wrapped in the blanket and placed
upon the earth with the face upward and
exposed. The mourners continue their
Wild lamentations for a given time and
then the men build funeral pyre or pre-
pare grave.
Ii the corpse is to be burned, when the
fuel IS about two feet high all the sounds
OF grief cease, and amid a death-like
stiffness the men place the body on the
pyre. Wood is then piled upon it until
all but the face is covered. The oldest
and nearest relative then sets the wood
on fire. AS soon as the smoke begins to
ascend the discordant bowling of the
women becomes almost appalling, while
the men in some instances stand in sullen
silence, and in others join their notes of
woe to those of the women. Then
all the relatives who are nearest
to the consuming dead, with long
sticks in their hands, commence a
frantic dance around the burning body,
occasionally turning it over and stirring
up the fire, that the corpse may be con-
sumed more speedily.
A writer states that the motive which
impels them to this is that they believe
there is an evil spirit who is continually
cOntriving to give them trouble, and who
will keep them from the happy hunting
grounds" if he can. They think the
heart is the immortal part and that he
seeks to make it a prisoner; so they en-
deavor by noises and motions to attract
the attention Of this spirit while the body
is burning, as it is at that season that the
heart leaps out, and if the evil spirits at
tention is distracted by their vancouver
ings the heart makes its escape and is
eternally safe. This is the reason for the
hideOus noises and waving of cloths
practiced during the process of burning.
After the body is nearly consumed
the blackened remains are taken from the
fire and rolled in a cloth or blanket to
cool little, when his wives separate
the remains and unconsumed portions of
the body, and around each wind a long
string of beads. Every particle is then
placed in basket that has beer beauti-
fully beaded and worked for such an oc-
casion, with any other valuables that
have been reserved. This being done,
and the fire rebuilt, the basket and its
contents are placed upon it; and while
this is being consumed, cloths, blankets,
dresses, beads, arrows, knives, pocket
handkerchiefs, and everything else that
has been touched by the dead body, are
added to the flames. When these are
burned, every unconsumed log is care
fully scraped, all the ashes swept to-
gether, and the whole, with the exception
of a small portion reserved for mourning,
is placed in another basket and then
buried
The reserved ashes, after being mixed
with pitch obtained from pine trees, are
spread over the faces of the female rela-
tives as a badge of mourning, and which,
although very hideous to our sight, are
sacred to theirs, and allowed to remain
until they wear of.-PGcitfc Rural Press.