The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-10-09
INDIAN DANCES.

Council describes the dances practiced
among the Northwestern tribes:
"Among the curious things to see here
are the dances The term does not
signify square or round dances, be-
ing applied generally to ceremonies often
of religious nature. Again, part of
dance is sometimes performed sitting
on the ground. Chief among the many
different kinds of dances are the Omaha,
the Fox, and the Sun dance. The latter is
only held on great occasions and has a
"war medicine" 1t is a horrible cere-
mony. The men cut themselves, and drag
buffalo heads, dashed to them by ropes that
are passed through the fleshy part of the
back and breast, pierced for the purpose
This dance is used sometimes to try the
endurance of young warriors. Among
other ceremonies is that of cutting the lit
tie girls ears to receive rings, shells, and
other ornaments. For this operation the
"medicine man" receives presents of
degree of value with the wealth of the
parents. The little ones are said to bear
the pain of the knife as bravely as the
older males do that of their tortures in the
lashings. The Omaha dance, specimen
of which was given to day, seems to have
begging for its special object. The music
for the occasion is large drum similar to
an ordinary bass drum, accompanied by
strings of bells, which the dancers have
fastened to their persons.
The party is generally formed in one of
the villages, the dancers in front, in two or
three lines, and behind party of five or
six, generally old men, beating the drum
They march along, with peculiar hopping
step, uttering sharp cries and brandishing
pistols, arrows, and sticks adorned with
eagles feathers. On reaching the spot
where the dance is to take place, the dane
ers seat themselves on the ground in a
circle. The ceremony is opened by beating
the drum for several minutes, accompanied
by sort of chant or song. Presently the
dancers begin to rise by twos and threes,
and begin the dance, uttering sharp cries
as before and brandishing pistols, guns,
and knives. Sometimes only two or three
will be dancing, while the rest sit still, and
at other times the whole party will engage
in it. Winding in and out among the
crowd of dancers, making grotesque GEES
lures and carnations, stripped of every
thing except the breech- clout, and painted
in the most hideous manner conceivable,
are men apparently hunting for TRAIL and
when seeming to have found it they raise
a peculiar cry. Others known as expert
horse thieves have their naked bodies COW
cred with limitations of horse shoes, with
stripe painted around the legs from the
thigh down, spirally, to resemble lariat.
Others have large punches of lariats slung
to their waists, with pair of moccasins.
The lariats signify horse foray and the
moccasins that they went on their expedi-
tion on foot, that they might 60 silently.
Many of them have their persons adorned
with the scalps of white persons, often of
women. Some wear buckskin shirts, with
fringe of human hair. There are gener-
ally two mounted men in the party, who
act as masters of ceremonies. At intervals
the dance stops, and one of the party comes
into the circle to relate his deeds of valor
and tell of fights with enemies. These
recitals are greeted by grunts of approval
from the bystanders. If the person recit-
ing his adventures has done particularly
gallant deed according to their ideas, he is
presented by some of the bystanders with
Il pony or two. In this case, squaw will
step into the circle and hand the man a lit
tie stick or switch, which represents one
pony. If two ponies are to be given, a
blanket is laid down in front of him,
which represents that number. The actual
dancing consists in jumping up and down,
sometimes on both feet, and then alter
nately on each foot, all the time keeping
time with the music. The dancers appear
in their best garments adorned with eagles
feathers and whatever ornaments they may
possess"