Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-05
BY NATHAN RICHARDSON.
[ Continued from last weeks Transcript


TContinued from last week S Transcript
! According to general report nearly all
the first traders that came to this part Of
the country, and their employees, took to
themselves wives from among the ma
tives, who as rule proved to be honest
and industrious women, quickly learn
ing to be neat and clean about their
housework. AS a natural consequence
it was not long before halfbreeds became
quite numerous in the country, and quar-
ter, eighth and sixteenth bloods soon
came around. Those having French
fathers are called French half breeds, and
those having Scotch fathers are called
Scotch halfbreeds. AS tlfegreatE bulk Of
half breeds m J1Yis and the Tea river
country are of these two sorts, no distinc-
tion is made as to the few. English and
Yankee halfbreeds. The French half.
breeds predominant in this and the Lake
Superior country, and the Scotch in the
Red river country. The Scotch half
breeds are considered the most hardy
and athletic people in this and the Red
river country. Formerly, when dog
trains were altogether used in this coun-
try, they would think nothing of travel
ing seventy five miles day on foot, and
driving their three dogs hitched to load
of three hun dred pounds, generally hav-
ing to camp out nights in the severest
weather, with but one blanket for them
selves and none for the dogs. They gen
orally ate the same kind OF food that they
gave their dogs, which frequently was
corn meal with little tallow mixed up
with water and baked, leaving out the
tallow when they used the corn cake to
feed the dogs. On stopping at night
they gave to each dog what amounted to
a quart of meal, one white fish, two her
rings that are caught in Lake Superior,
or two pounds Of pemmican made of the
toughest buffalo meat and the dirty tai
low. The French half breeds are gener
orally counted as good men. The mixed
bloods of all sorts almost universally
live as the pure white people, and are
treated by the white people as their
equals in most cases, where their con-
duct merits such treatment. Where they
asked for annuties they were counted in
as Indians when the payments were
made, and each received the same
amount as the Indians, until some years
ago, but now only such as make their
home with the Indians draw anything at
the payments. The half breed and mixed
blood families are generally large, and
while some Of them are energetic and oh.
tain good education, many unfortu-
nately are not much interested with
books; and what is true Of them is true
of many of the white children that have
thus far been raised in this country. The
great difference that occurs IN some of
the half breed families in. their complex
ion and intellect is very marked, es-
pecially where the father has quite a
light complexion, which is frequently
the case among the Scotch. Some are
as dark as the blacklist Indian, and some
have as!ight skin and as fair complexion
(and in some instances red hair) as can
be found anywhere.
A brief description of some of the In
dian dances may not be wholly uninter-
esting. The most important, which gen.
orally occurs but once a year in each
band and that in the spring, is the Me-
da~ we-win, or the great medicine dance.
A long wigwam is made sufficient to ac-
commodate the crowd that is expected
come, sometimes reaching hundred
feet Or more in length. A drum, unlike
those ordinarily used, is placed at each
end. These were originally made by
cutting off piece of hollow log, fasten-
ing up one end with cedar splints, and
stretching raw,hide over the other.
The drum is then set on end for use.
If any one is sick among them, he is op.
Grated on as subject; otherwise we'll
person is taken. Everything being in
readiness the old and influential medi-
cine men, each prepared with a small
sack Of his choicest medicines tied to a
stick, commence their varied ceremo.
MES or performances at about nine
o'clock in the morning, and continue un~
til about two o'clock in the afternoon.
The exercises wind up with the process
sion Of medicine men passing around the
sick or other person they have selected
to operate on, each in his turn putting
his medicine bag close up to him; and
as the last, who is supposed to be the
greatest medicine man among them,
comes around and shoves his medicine
up to him, he drops down and fains to