The Republican journal., 1876-08-10
Studies Among the Sioux.

dakota Cor. Of the Evansville Ind.) journal.
They have keen sense of the ridiculous.
particularly the women, and somewhat OF
hunor think it was Running Antelope
who said that when he first heard of it he
was much surprised that the white men
killed their Savior. but now that he knew
them better he had changed his mind. /
recollcct once when Il friend and myself
were standing too near Il circle where they
We're having q aquaW dance, two hays
whose heads were sllvercd by we'll nigh II
century, threw their arms around our
nec>s and drawing us into the circle COM
PEELED us to Join in their gvrations, much
to the hilarity Of the rest. But Of all objects
Of study the women are the greatest. from
the prettiest. good-naturca young girls of
Il to the toothess old hags who. in this
tribe, have been known to come On the
battlefield after the fight to Kill the
wounded Much righteous Indignation
has been expressed by American writer's
with regard to the servile labor which is
required Of the women among the Indian
tribes, and this criticisms is but to be eX-
pected from a people whose habits OF pam
perng their Wone en- exhibits itself in the
absurd etiquette which requires that y
/ gentleman must offer 20 carry u parcel
for a lady if it be but an ounce weight,
and is now resulting in the cry Of "Wo-
mems rights" But these Indian GIRLS are
the nappiest set | have ever seen, and if
| the old women are bent from being hcw-
| ers Of wood and carriers of water, the men
do their par. in hunting and fighting. The
girls are at once both modest and bod
They will stand and gaze into your Win
dow for u quarter Of an hour at "a time
| but having once ventured to hint to one of
| them that her ways We're most winning
the poor child was So overcome that she
ran away, hid her face in her robe and
refused to be comtorted The manner of
| love-u.aking among them is strange.
When afflicted with Cupid's dart the
| young men 90 about wearing their blank
cts in such L manner rs to cover up all
the head except the eyes, and. having
sped the object of their affections, they
slip up behind her quickly, throw the
blanket over her head also, and holding
her tightly around the waist. compel her
to listen to the soft accents of love. In case
OF popular belle, they will sometimes
range themselves in 4 line at the door of
her wigwam, and when she comes out
| pass ncf from one TO the Othef rs she IN
turn disburdens her surcharged heart.
They have been known to keep Il girl this
way all day long Lastly, the language
OF the Indian is well known to be pictur
esque, and no one can appreciate the
grace of their oratory without having seen
it, and even in ordinary conversation their
gestures are profuse. 1t is the very poverty
of their language that makes it sound po-
etic; thus, for 1.-THE ship sails" having
neither the word ''ship'' nor ''sails," they
say ''thc wind makes the boat run on the
water" thus bringing in two of the natur-
al elements in that one sentence. 1t is
noticeable that when we sometimes eX-
press age by so many summers, they
always say winters, and when we say $50
many days SINCE" they say $50 many
nights or sleeps"