The crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1877-1878, 1878-07-04
THE sun DANCE.
Spotted Tails Young Men TOrturing
Themselves to Show they are Worthy
70 he KrAyps.

TO he Braves.
YanktOn Letter to Chicago Times.
From Mr. Frank Washabaugh, the
Times correspondent has received the
following account Of "sun dance"
which commenced on the 10th of June,
at Spotted Tails village. Mr. Washa-
baugh, in company with Mr.. r. L. Coy,
from Rockford, ILL.,, started from Yank-
ton last Saturday for the Spotted Tail
agency, which islocated on the Missouri
river, about forty miles from Yankton.
They arrived there Sunday morning,
and was cordially greeted by Maj, Lee.
the acting military agent. After rest
ing for short time, they, in company
with Maj, Lee, the post sur
geon, and Post Trader Dear, five in all,
started for the Indian village of Spot
ted Tail, some twenty-five miles across
the prairie, arriving there in due season
to witness the dance.
SPOTTED TAILS TRIBE
had all congregated there, consisting of
about $500, and were joined by be-
tween four and five hundred Santees
and Yanktons. The villages consists of
eight hundred lodges scattered around,
in the center of which was a pole some
forty feet high, on the top of which
were large punches of sage brush. Be-
fore the dance commenced some twenty
five pappooses of both sexes were
brought into circle, near the pole, by
their mothers, the male Indians (hus
bands following, each leading a pony
with one hand, and a number of trinkets
in the other. One Indian at a time
would then take his pappoose up to the
pole and would sing out "the belt, the
chief of ceremonies, that he wanted the
ears of the pappoose cut, and an Indian
would Immediately start from the crowd
and perform the operation Of taking his
scalping-knife out and cutting
TWO Sits IN EACH EAR,
after which he would receive as q pres
ent a pony and numerous other gifts.
The cries of the young babies were not
heard, owing to the incessant beating of
the tom-toms, which were kept up until
the whole twenty-five were served
alike. After this was through, some
three hundred Indians on horse
back came into the circle, dressed in
elegant attire, and, after dismounting,
"Old Spot" came forward and greeted
them with great pomp, carrying a pole
or stick about five feet long, which he
used like cane, with short rope of
about five or six inches on one end, to
which was attached a scalp nearly two
feet long. He gave this stick to one of
the chiefs who took it and commenced
dancing backward and forward, at the
same time forming these three hundred
Indians into squads and drilling them
for about an hour After this forty-eight
of the Indians who wished to become
braves (mostly young bucks from % to
30) were brought in from the surround
ing lodges. They had been fasting for
twenty-four hours. Each one was at
tended by another, with a bunch of sage
brush and whistle, and were led to the
centre one at time, and thrown down
on his own buffalo robe near the war
pole, and then, while two would hold
him, third would catch hold of his
flesh near the nipple, stick a scalping
knife about an inch in thickness and
five inches long, through, after which he
would insert a sharp stick four inches in
length and as large around as ones fin
ger. While this was being performed,
the Indian seemed to be in the most
intense agony, putting his hands over
his ewes and writhing with great pain.
From the pole hung n double rope, tied
near the centre, some twenty feet from
the ground. At the end OF each was
attached n niece of leather or rawhide
with A loop in each togo over the sticks
which were stuck into each breast. AZ
fer tied in this state, one on each side of
the pole, they commenced dancing, with
Their right hand ND to their ewes.
watching the sun ali the time, and
thc blood tricklinp down their
breasts Occasionally tbey would give
n Jerk backward and try to tear them
selves loose. Same being tougher
skinned than others, it would take much
longer. some of them dancing and pull.
inc away for over an hour before thew
would tear themselves out. The second
one that was tortured in this way came
near fointinp. and in order to save him
50 that he would be n "braye," his
friends rushed in and tore him ont
After tbey are loosened tbey are taken
and laid on their robe again, and the
rouph edges from their wounds trimmed
off and
CHARCOAL AND sALvEs
put ON to heal them up. They then
rest for about five minutes and then
ioin in the dance. This dance was
continued for nearly three days,-night
and dov.-tbose norticipoting NOT nj.