Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-11

letter received at the Interior Department,
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, about two weeks
ago;
have just witnessed the great Indian
festival of the Sundane,' or worship of the
sun. Great preparations had been made for
IT., and everything was ON the grandest scale
The city of lodges was moved, and the In
dams encamped on a beautiful plain enclosing
hollow square large enough for the move
ments of thousands of horsemen. In the
centre the great pavilion or medicine-lodge
was erected, 100 feet in diameter, the outside
formed of small posts of green poplar and
willow, thickly interviewer with green
branches. For about 20 feet the space was
covered with buffalo skins, forming the dress
circle with places assigned to the musicians
and actors or dancers. In the centre was the
great medicino-pole, so feet high The diam
eter of the central space about 100 feet, was
open to the broad sunlight Only the men
occupied the deep circle, where they were
Toasted during the performance Of % contin-
uous hours during which time about 40 dogs
were inundated and eaten, besides 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 oc-
cupied the circle within, the common people
women and boys--had to be satisfied by
viewing the performances through the wide
entrance or through the interstices 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 30 braves entered
each an Apollo-painted and naked to the
waist, except a profusiou of ornaments, with
head-dresses of beautiful feathers their black
glossy hair reaching down to their lower gar
ments, which were most beautifully and art
| istically arranged. Each carried in his hand
an ornamental whistle, made from the bone of
an eagles wing which was blown shrily dur
ing the dancing. Each also carried n bouquet,
composed mostly of the wild sage Their
appearance and reception were grand and i'm
| posing. The first afternoons performance
would have been called wonderful for display
OF herolsm and power to endure and suffer.
Many had from 80 to 200 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 the morning tor
] tuIt TtlButu supreme, men udnClnB Win 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 STOPPING pos
| ture he was forced to assume they had lace
rated 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 centre pole with ropes
which were fastened to the breast and back
Some, in addition to being fastened by the
flesh of their breasts, had buffalo heads sus-
pended from the back, and they would be
seized by the hanging heads and jerked until
one would think their life would be forfeited.
| Others made frantic efforts to break loose, and
/ often noticed the integumcnt 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
perfect paudemonium. The dancers neither
took food, sleep nor water during the festival.
| Their dancing, their invocations, and their
prayers were fervent They laid their faces
on the buffalo heads while praying for success
i'll 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 prosper them, and help them to subduc
| their enemies.