Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-08-25
Indian Medicine Dance.

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Indian Territory, in June, were wit
messed by fully 5000 Indians. The
number of persons who take part is un-
limited. When the performance begins,
the company having assembled, the per
formers at given signal rush into the tent
from various points Of the compass with
shouts and yells, and as they reach the in
terror they fire their guns at the effigy
suspended from tie pole-intending thus
TO destroy the evil spirlt-and Immediately
they set up their dance. This consists in
the main of light springing up and down
to the monotonous music furnished by a
peculiar song unvarled In words and music,
which accompanied the pounding. 1t goes
on till the bodies of the musicians weary,
and at q signal all stop end take rest.
That done, the dance proceeds again. The
programme is changed little in some of
its details, so as to give q variety. Each
dancer has a sort of trainer, or attendant,
who sees to preparing him for the exercise.
During the rest of the dance the perform
ers will arise, lay off their shawls or blan-
kets, take off their other garments, and
barring breech-clout, reduce themselves to
a state of complete nudity. This is done
in the presence of thousands of men, wo
men and children, and nothing Is thought
of 1t. The a.tenoant then paints the
dancer, using a weed for a brush. The
entire body is covered with rings, forks
and other curious devices. Sometimes
the legs from the top of the hips and the
groins are painted to the foot with white
or light-colored pigment, and then rings
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producing very striking effect. The
back, arms and chest are also covered with
similar representations. AS the body is
partly dry shawl or blanket is thrown
over the shoulders and the legs are left
bare. Meanwhile the audience keeps up
its chatting, laughing, eating and tanning
itself to keep cool, and pays but little at
tention to the spectacle OF preparation.
The chief medicine man, or the man who
has the lead in making the medicine, goes
around the lodge about midway of the
radius, and deposits at intervals pieces OF
sagebrush; another follows and deposits in
the same spot pieces Of bread and nuts.
What this was for did not learn. The
dancers also place wreaths OF sage brush
or of leaves on their heads, and wreath
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Those who do this last wear no blanket or
shawl, but are nude except as to the wreath
and hreech- cluut. A person who has never
seen the dance can scarcely realize what q
hldeous appearance the leaves and wreaths
and paint give to the naked savage. He
looks like typical cannIbal who has just
roasted fresh missionary and is about to
devour him. Everything being in readl-
ness, the dancers put into their mouths q
small bark whistle, about five inches loug,
having shrill sound, and ornamented
with tuft of horse hair, which adds to
the grotesqueness of their makeup. The
signal is given and the dancing begins
again. accompanied by the drum, singing
and whistlIng. During the whole Of the
exercises the participants give not the
slightest indication of mirthfulness, but
are as solemn in visage as any one could
possibly be. To them it is evidently seri-
Gus business, and the chief priests IN this
ceremony have no trouble in looking one
another In the face without laughing. To
them it is earnest. Some of the dancers
show signs of physical exhaustion from
went OF food, and when they are resting
they lean on their hands as If they were in
PRAYER or suffering from headache. One
stra lge part of the medicine dance is the
torture. An Indian will cut two parallel
perpendicular slits in the skin, on the
breast and just above the nipple, and under
the skin from one slit 10 the other he will
run stout stick. To each end of this
stick he ties long string. The other side
of the breast is fixed in the same way, and
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around the centre pole and tied. The In
dian will then lean back and thus pull on
the sticks until he tears the skin out and
releases himself. The sight is a revolving
one. The blood streams down Lis breast
and legs from the cuts The skin Is usually
tough and refuses to yield, and frequently
the man has to brace his feet against the
pole and push with all his might. The
thongs still hold and the skin is often pulled
away from the breast bone, and stands out
at an angle Of about fifteen degrees clear
across the breast and from the cuts down
to the lower RIBS. 1t sometimes happens
that the torturer faints before the skin
pulls out; 1t more frequently happens that
he faints as it pulls out, and, weak from
want of food and loss of blood, he requires
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come through bravely and 90 ON with the
dance. One fellow, the other day, unable
to endure the suffering while both thongs
were pulling on him at once, tried TO break
one out at time, and when he succeeded
the crowd dressed him in squaw's clothes
IN contempt. The fasting and torture, as
have said, is not to test whe her the
torturers are brave warriors, but is intended
to placate the Almighty and win his aid
for the accomplishment of some particular
purpose. The torturer has his own benefit
in view primarily, although he thinks that
1t results also to the good of bis entire
tribe, since he thinks that 1t is pleasing to
God; and what puts God in good humor
will necessarily bring the entire tribe in
for their share of the results.
A New Exhilarating Substance.