The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-09-09

ward step and pulls him back. This
Is done roughly, until the head man is
exhausted, aud Lone Wolf surely must
be suffering intense pain, but he stands
doggedly still and calmly returns the
gaze Of tho crowd, until pole or a
stick about feet long is put in his
hand. He begins dancing again,
placing the stick on the earth before
him. then LAYS hold OF il with both
hands, and with the utmost strength
struggles to force himself loose by
bracing back with this staff. He strug-
giles, plunges forward, backwards, side
ways, runs backwards and leaps, and
continues in this manner until he final
ly tears loose aud staggers TO a seat
with two wounds on his breast, from
which the blood trickles down making
a CHASTITY contrast TO the pain.
Our attention is next attracted by a
crowd gathered around some object.
'Tis Brave Bull. He has a buffalo
head suspended from fastening in
each breast, and drags four buffalo
heads on the ground behind him,
which are fastened in his back, and also
leads a pony which is fastened in his
back. This poor old savage, nearly
fifty years OF age, must walk around
the ring aud drag those buffalo heads
until they pull out from his flesh. He
walks with the assistance Of heavy
staff, which he holds firmly in both
hands, and with bowed head, he strug-
giles and tugs away. At first thought
he was crying. but soon discovered
that he was singing, but the sound was
mournful and painful to heaa. A
crowd followed him, and just heaped
presents OF blankets, calico robes,
beaded work, ear trinkents, and every
thinP imaginable in the Indian line, in
front OF him aud behind him. He
struggled around the ring three times
without being released from one OF his
tortureous loads. His relatives were
bowling and entreating him 10 give
away something TO have one or all of
the thongs cut, out ne refused to give
up, Oar friend, Louie Rubido, went
TO Brave Bull and conversed with him
earnestly for a few moments. When
Louie returned, / wanted Information:
Brave Bull, my brother. in-law, l am
going 10 give horse to have one string
cut"
An Indian leading pony, and
squaw with a pappoose on her back,
entered the ring. They, like hundreds
Of others, had brought their infant TO
have its ears cut for earrings. This
is a ceremony similar TO our baptism Of
children, and is only performed on ga
la days. The child is brought In be-
fore a crowd, some one steps forward
and does the ear-cutting aud il pre-
sented with a pony. Louie stepped
up and cut this child's ears. received
the pony from the parents, who carried
off tue bowling baby. Louie imme-
diately gave away" the pony for Brave
Bull, aud the next time he came around
to US his load was lessened by two buf-
falo heads, one having fallen of. All
of the sun dancers but Picket Pin aud
Brave Bull danced around the pole, so
further description Is unnecessary,
excepting thft few were 'faint heart
ed" aud gave up. These had 10 give
away everything they owned in order
10 be released.
One very pretty religious ceremony
| wish to describe: One medicine
man with a head-dress of sage leaves
with a young Indian on either side of
him, fixed mp very gorgeously in paint,
beads, feathers, etc, accompanied by
au Indian entirely naked excepting
breech clout-who appears to act as
usher aud crier-stops, facing US. The
crier addresses the crowd, which lis
tens reyerentially. The crier then
marches around the trio and takes po-
sition in their rear. The trio begiu a
plaintive, pretty sort of chant, soft at
first, and the extend their right hands
toward the crowd as a minister does in
pronounciDg a blessing; their arms are
raised slowly toward heaven and slowly
descend, their chant becoming louder
and softer as their arms are raised and
dropped. This / am informed is a
ceremony of obtaining blessing from
the sun for the people. There were
two sets Of these priests-as they may
Toe called-going through the ceremony
during the whole time Of the dance, in
different parts Of the ring. IL you can
imagine all these things going on at
once. you can only get faint idea Of
the scenes we witnessed during this
dance. have left out many things
unintentionally and many Intentionally
as L have already made tremendous
ly long and fear dry article.
During the dance hundreds OF
squaws were engaged IN bringing
food 10 the assembled multitude, and
We partook of coffee and bread. The
dance was finished that evening at six
o'clock.
1t has been said that the Indians
dance three days and three nights, but
this is a mistake. After an Indian has
been cut and breaks away he is requir-
cd 90 continue dancing and footing his
whistle as long as the performance
lasts, or until the last Indian succeeds
m breaking away. This sometimes
lasts two or three days, but very sell
dom. Fifteen hundred ponies were
given away during the dance, and the
visiting Indians went home laden with
presents and with a curious idea OF
our Indian policy. Indians who have
been at peace for years with our gov
ernment, and have made some progress
in civilization, compared their squalid,
starving condition with that of the
Spotted Tail aud Red Cloud Indians,
who have been at war with us. The
latter are bountifully fed aud have fine
repeating arms, plenty of horses, and
are gorgeously attired. The conclu.
sion is that those Indians who keep in
an occasional state of hostility manage
to get more from the government than
those who are always at peace and at
tempt 10 adopt our ways.