Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-12
BY NATHAN RICHARDSON.

| [Continued from last weeks Transcript I
The O-poi-gon-ne-me-Min, or pipe
dance, is quite a popular dance, and is
carried on in a quick and lively manner
by men only, who step very quick aud
crouch down a good deal. They pro-
vide a large pipe for all to smoke on the
occasion.
The Sha-wa-na-ga-w or southern
dance, is used when they make peace
with their enemies, both men and women
joining in it. There are some others, but
the general character Of the dances are
much the same; and the Chippewas have
of late taken up some Of the Sioux fash
ions of dancing, as they are now friend
ly, and have been for abouta dozen years.
The Chippewas are frequently visited at
White Earth by the Sioux of late, and
the Chippewas in turn occasionally visit
the Sioux in Dakota. The last raids
made by the Sioux in the Chippewa
country were in the summer of 1860. In
June Of that year party of nearly forty
went up as far. as Crow Wing, came
down through Little Falls and called
at the stores and traded some If they
had any scalps, they did not show them.
While they were in town they scared
: two halfbreed women badly. One was
Mrs. Mcclure, who lived near Mr.. Dag.
gets; and discovering the Sioux in time,
; she ran into Mr.. Dagsct's house, the
; house in which Henry Root now lives.
; The Sioux attempted to follow her in,
! but George Rice, who was there paint
ing, prevented them from going in. They
then went to the bank of the river, not
far from the house Of VIM. L. Dow,
where he now resides, and sat down.
! Mrs. Roy, who resided at Swan River,
she being the other half breed woman,
was coming up to the Falls with small
girl, and discovered the Sioux in time to
get into Mr.. Dow's house Mrs. Dow
and her children only were at home,
and she let the woman in and locked the
doors, and secreted the woman and
child in the attic or garret, and had no
sooner got them secreted than seven
Sioux came to each Of the two outside
doors and dem anded admittance, threat
ening vengeance if refused. Mrs. Dow
not being made of timid material, she
kept the door locked until she saw Mr..
John Shea and the sheriff, Miles Brown,
going past She then walked out and
informed them Of what was going on.
The sheriff walked in with his Colts re-
volver, and kept them back, while Mr..
Shea went up town for reinforcements.
The Indians hung around until nearly
night, and finally went away without
taking any scalps from Little Falls.
About dozen came up in the latter part
OF the summer, and camped over night
not far from Crow Wing. Their trail
was discovered, and Hole-in-the- Day,
with several Chippewa warriors, followed
them down and overlook them at Maine
Prairie, Stearns county, and killed all
but two with no loss on the side of the
Chippewas. think this was the last
raid made by the Sioux into this part of
the country after Chippewa or half breed
scalps. 1t was the general opinion
through this country that Hcle-in-the.
Day and Little Crow, the head chief Of
the Sioux, made peace soon after this,
and that the two chiefs had an under.
standing that they would both rise and
make an attack on the whites at; the
same time, IN the summer of 1862. Lit.
tie Crow!succeeded in getting the Sioux
to make the attack, and they killed in
all about one thousand people along the
western border Of our State; and Little
Crow also succeeded in. getting killed
himself, while Holesn- -the.Day only sue.
seeded in getting up a great scare 81
1 have occasionally noticed 4squaws
Juggling about with them a package o1
goods nicely rolled up, sometimes q small
package and sometimes a large one,
Themen sometimes carried one. On in,
quiry ] learned that it was universal
practice when a women lost child io1
her husband, or a man lost his wife, to
cut off lock Of their hair and roll it up
very nicely inside of these packages,
which are made up Of nice cloth. moe
casins, fancy beadwork, etc. A pack
age for the death of man or woman
would correspond in size around very
NEARLY to that Of a grown person, and
would be about two feet in len 9Th and 4
package to represent a child would Be
Icorrespo ondingly small. Y hen they gel
through carrying these packs, they make
/ q sort Of feast, such as they may be able
] to afford, the man for his Wife's nea,
RELATIVES, and piicc persa If tie woman
fsurvives the man and the things CON
posing the pack are distributed among
/ the relatives Of the deceased. his is de
signed to operate as q release from, fur
tler obligations, and the surviving hus
i band Or wife is at liberty to marry again
i and it is supposed that as long as tIt
I.,,1.