The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-03
TIE /" Sun DANCE.n
Horrible and Demoniac Penltential
Ceremonies of the Sioux.

horrADEe and DemOniRc PenitenttaI
Ceremonies of the Sioux.
A correspondent of the Chicago
Times, writing from the Spotted Tail
Indian Agency, Nebraska, gives some
interesting statements concerning pure
ly Indian ceremonies: Even as the CIV
ilized world observe commemorative
days feasts, and f2sts, and have their
festivals, so the savage Sioux have their
frequently recurring ceremonies and
festive gatherings. Many Of those are !
of local interest, and the attendance |
limited; but once each year they have a
grand religiO-military festival attended
by the whole tribe.
THE SUN DANCE,
as this is called, was observed few |
days ago by the Indians of the agency, |
45 miles distant. This ceremonial is /
usually held early in June, but several |
causes eonspired to postpone it this
season.
Three or four weeks since the great |
medicine pipe was sent ont by its Gus
tOdians, the Cutoff band of Sioux of |
Red Cloud agency, to Spotted Tail and
the other chiefs and headmen of the |
Brule and Loafer bands here, as token
that the time had arrived to arrange
the preliminaries, and the pipe was then
passed about as a summons for all to
assemble at the location to be desig
mated. A point on Shaddon Greek,
about midway between the two agen-
cies, was chosen, and for several days |
prior to the oath inst the roads and
trails leading thither were all well oc-
cupied by the trains of the assembling
host. On the morning of the oath there
were not less than $4,000 Indians en-
camped there, the camp being in the
form of a circle, and one and a half
miles in diameter. Here, while await
ing the perfection of arrangements,
they amused themselves by horse-rac-
ing, visiting, dancing and small games.
Spotted Tail, the great Brule chief, was
to have been the
HIGH PRIEST, OR GREAT-sPIRIT MAN,
of the occasion; but, owing to death
in his family, during the past winter, he
has since been subject to a ghost, or |
wrath, rather; and although the powers |
of medicine have been freely invoked,
the wrath is not yet exercised. Spots !
heart being still bowed down by weight |
of woe, he was ineligible; and his COM
patriot, Red Cloud, the great Ogallalla
chief, next to Spotted Tail the greatest |
chief in the Sioux nation, Officiated in
stead. At council of chiefs, several |
braves, as scouts, were chosen to select |
the particular spot in the center of the |
encampment where the medicine pole |
was to be planted. Arrayed in full
war costume, the scouts sailed forth, !
and, having decided upon a location,
charged upon it at full tilt as upon an
enemy, thus driving away all '' bad
medicine. They then proceeded to
give away their ponies, this being the
correct thing to do on all occasions of
ceremony.
THE MEDICINE POLE
was now to be selected, and according
ly the braves who were to engage in
the dance, together with number of
the more distinguished young ladies of
the tribe and two vestal virgins special
ly designated, repaired to the forest
near by. The tree having been select
ed, during the progress of a dance by
the squaws, each of the braves in turn
stepped up to the tree, made speech
recounting his previous deeds of
bravery, and renewing his vows to en-
gage in the dance, then stuck his hatch
ct into the foot of the tree and fell back.
The sun dance is regarded as a sacri-
fetal worship and the performers are
those who during the previous year
have vowed to engage in it as a sacri-
fee or penance. The Indians Great
Spirit is a god for every day use, and
his power is frequently invoked. Said
an old Indian to me one day in the
beautiful poesy of their language, which
can be but imperfectly rendered: "As
the prayers of the white man ascend to
the Great Spirit from the house that the
white man builds in which to pray, so
the smoke from the red mans pipe car
ries with it the soul and prayers of the
red man, and the Great Spirit will lis
ten to this as to the white mans pray
ers." The renewal, at the medicine
tree, of the braves VOW, affords him an
opportunity to give away pony or two,
| and any other little thing that he may
happen to have about him. After their
dusky brethren had concluded,
THE TWO VIRGINS
| advanced, ak in hand, felled the tree,
and carefully trimmed it. The pole
was now borne in solemn procession
toward the '.landmark, " or spot chosen
for its erection, stopping on the way
! four times. Each of these halts had its
ceremony, and as the last one was made
the "landmark" was again scharged
upon by war party, for the same OBJ
iect as before After the planting OF
| the pole, an effigy cut from raw
| buffalo hide was hung upon it, and now
! they dance and ride about, firing at the
effigy with blank cartridges to drive
away from the vininity the last vestiges
of ''Bad Medicine" The grounds sur
rounding the pole were then enclosed,
and a shelter constructed of bushes and
tepee cloth. A short distance from the
pole, four stakes were firmly planted in
the ground, the purpOrt of which we
shall hereafter see.
And now about the tepee of the high
priest they have assembled. Red Cloud
lighted the medicine pipe from a fire,
! for to use a match now would be ''bad
medicine. p" The few white men present
were invited to uncover, when, after
ordering the most perfect silence, Red
Cloud called upon an old Indian who
was present for the devotional exer-
cises. The right hands of all were up
lifted, and So = 1o .t-..-- r.
RED CLOUD, KNEELING, fr
held up the pipe, while they listened to
the words Of the holy man.
After invoking the forgiveness of the
Great Spirit for the sins of the whole
nation, as individuals and as nation,
and praying that they might be at
peace with themselves as individuals,
=. with each other, and as nation with
the whole world, he closed with an
earnest exhortation to each to live a
goodly life. After asking the white
men to be covered again, the high
priest proceeded to the conservation OF
the food about to be eaten, the pole, and
7 the grounds. Enormous pendants, as
Jewels, are worn in the ears OF all these
: Indians, and the present occasion was
taken advantage Of to have the ears OF
2 a nm, bay- of children r1iprced bV the