Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-09-07
THE PIUTE FANDANGO.

THE PIUTE FANDANGO.
Annual Dance of tho Indians--strsnse Cos
tunes and Queer Love Making.
The Vincennes (Nev.) Chronicle says:
Once year, usually during the first
half of July, the Piute Indians come in
from all parts of the State, and have
grand tribe dance Whether there is
the element of religious worship in the
fandango nobody knows, but it is natur-
al to suppose that pious motives are
uppermost; for the white mind, less
enjoyable assemblage than one of these
yearly gatherings could hardly be pic
tured. It is certainly funny, however.
Unlike most Indians, the Piutes are not
at all dignifed or grave in their de-
meanor, being very like children in the
naturalness of their manner. They are
especially unconstrained in their ways
just about this time of the year. In
winter Piute, male or female, is ca
daverous individual. Short commons
and the shelter of leaky and comfort
less tent of gunny sacks and skins do
not conduce to heavy weight. At pres
ent, however, all is changed. The
bucks look comfortable and happy,
while the squaws, especially the young
ones, revel in fatness. Piute youth
waxeth gallant. It is likely that the
yearly fandango is got up in part in
the interest of matrimony, for it ie at
this season that the Piutes pair. All
the youngsters are just about one year
older than their younger brethren.
Every healthy squaw has papoose,
and her baby is just about the size and
age of every other baby. The annual
fandango may perhaps have something
to do with this chronological symmetry.
Last year the dance was held on
American fiat, but we had the fun nearer
home this year. A little valley in the
hills to the north of the homestead, be-
tween Gold Hill and Virginia, was
chosen, and proceedings begun on We'd
nesday and wound up on Saturday
night. About two hundred Piutes gath
cred and proceeded to build their
camps. The aboriginal home on these
occasions consists of a breastwork of
sage brush, behind which the family
crouch and warm their heels at fire of
the same beautiful shrub. The brush
is pulled up from space about twice
the size of an ordinary circus ring, in
the center of the camp, and there the
dance takes place. The Piute doesn't
shine with a dazzling luster as heel
| and toe artist. The "dance is really
no dance at all. The bucks form ring
standing side by side; then the squaws
take up position, not mingling with the
men, but forming part of the circle.
The ring being made, few gifted
bucks start up cultural chant OF
Hoo hoo, hoo, hi-hi!
Hiyah, hi-yah. hi-yi!
Ho, hoo, hi-ysh, hi-yi!
To this inspiring air the ring begins
to move, all hands going around with
short hops, just as soldiers do when
making ight dress" or "left dress. )"
This sort of thing is kept up for hours,
the monotonous drone of "Hoo. hoo,
hi-yah," going on always. When q
dancer tires of the fun he drops out,
and some one else takes his place. To
the white mind there is certain lack
of variety about three days Of one kind
of a dance, but "Jim" never wearies
of it. A more grotesque and absurd
crowd of human beings could not be
imagined. Out of $50 of the ring
which happened about on Saturday
afternoon, there were three or four
braves who were arrayed in asavage Co.'S
tune of bearskin or buckskin, but all
the rest looked as if they had made a
raid on rag shop. Tattered dress
coats, filthy linen busters, frayed and
shocking trousers, battered plug hats
and hopeless brogans made up the
dress of the sons of the soil. One old
gentleman had on All ancient swallow
tail coat and bell crown silk hat, while
his neither limbs were tightly clothed
in fringed buckskin breeches. A pair
OF boots that might have belonged to a
farmer in Revolutionary days graced the
rickety feet of the ancient WARRIOR. An
unusual amount of red and white paint
is smeared upon the broad countenances
of the bucks and squaws at fandango
time.
During Friday afternoon and evening
there were more whites present on the
ground than there were Piutes, and it
must be said that the Indians we're bet
ter behaved than their visitors.