The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-07-31
The Sun.Dance Of the Sioux.

ALETTER received at the Interior De-
partment in Washington, from DIR. T.
woodbridge, physician for the Fort
Peck Agency, gives the following
graphic description of the annual
Sun-dance" of the Sioux Nation,
which took place near Poplar River,
in Montana Territory, a few weeks
ago:
: 81 have. just witnesses the great In
dian festival of. the Sun-dance,' or
worship of the sun. Great prepara-
tons had been made for it, and every-
thing was on the grandest scale. The
city OF lodges was moved and the In
dams encamped on beautiful plain
inclosing hollow. square large enough
for the movements of thousands of
horsemen. In the center the great pa
WALTON or medicine-lodge was erected,
one hundred and fifty feet in diameter,
the outside formed of small posts of
green poplar and willow, thickly inter-
woven with green branches. For about
buffalo skins, forming the 'dress cir
cle,' with places assigned to the mu-
sicians and actorssor dancers. In the
center was the great medicine-po!e,
fifty feet high. The diameter of the
central space, about one hundred feet,
was open to the broad sunlight. Only
the men occupied the deep circle,
where they were feasted during the
performance of twenty-eight continu-
GUS hours. during which time about
forty dogs were inundated and eaten,
beside large quantities of buffalo meat,
wild turnip heads, and hot caldrons of
other eatables that are nameless. The
audience was composed of about 5000
Indians; but as only the men occupied
the circle within, the common people
women and boys had to be satisfied
by viewing the performances through
the wide entrance or through the inter-
stices in the leafy barriers. All had on
their holiday attire. The dresses of
some of the chiefs and those acting as
directors or priests were gorgeous.
"When all was prepared, amid the
waving of banners, music and the loud
shouting of the assembled throng, over
fifty braves entered-each an Apollo
and naked to the waist, ex-
cept profusion of ornaments, with
head-dresses of beautiful feathers, their
black, glossy hair reaching down to
their lower garments, which were most
beautifully and artistically arranged.
Each carried IN his hand an ornamental
whistle, made from the bone of an
eagles wing, which was blown shrilly
during the dancing. Each also carried
a bouquet, composed mostly of the
wild sage. Their appearance and re-
ception were grand and imposing. The
first afternoons performance would
have been called wonderful for display
of heroism and power to endure and
suffer. Many had from fifty to two
hundred pieces cut out of their flesh,
from their arms and back. The dance
was kept up all night with undated
fervor, every performance having
something new and startling. But in
morning torture reigned supreme, men
dancing with two, three and four buffalo
heads suspended from holes cut in their
flesh. One Indian dragged on the
ground eight buffalo heads fastened to
the flesh of his back, and in the stoop-
ing posture he was forced to assume
they had lacerated or torn the cuts in
his back to the extent of three inches.
Others were held by four different
cords, two in the breast and two in the
back, fastened to four stakes; and
others were fastened to the center pole
with ropes which were attached to the
breast and back. Some, in addition to
being fastened by the flesh of their
breasts, had buffalo heads suspended
from the back, and they would be seized
by the hanging heads and jerked until
one would think their life would be for
feited. Others made frantic efforts to
break loose, and often noticed the in
tegument to be stretched three or four
inches from the body. Some fell faint
and exhausted, and with wild shouts,
the din of music and weird songs made
of it a perfect pandemonium. The
dancers neither took food, sleep, nor
water during the festival. Their dane
ing, their invocations and their prayers
were fervent. They laid their faces on
the buffalo heads while praying for sue
cess in hunting, and the priest wept
and asked the Great Spirit to give them
success in the chase, and let them have
food for their wives and children; also,
to give them plenty of horses, to pros
per them and help them to subdue their
enemies