Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-24
THE SIOUX Sun DANCE.
Five Thousand Of the Painted Abort
gfnes Induiged In lheir Annual
Festivities: With Picturesque Ef-
fects--A An Understandable Midnieh
scene Oh the Frontier

fects--An Understandable Midnieh
scene on the Frontier.
Five thousand Sioux Indians have
just com pleted their great annual fes
tival and dances of the sun and the
moon, on the Cheyenne river, thirty
five miles northwest of Fort Bennett
This is the first festival they have been
permitted to celebrate for period Of
six years. The largest bands are those
represented by Black Feet, Two Ket-
tie, Sans Arc, Minneconjuo. The sub
chiefs Rafting Rib, Thunder Cloud,
Young Man. Afraid-of His. Shadow and
Spotted Eagle, besides host of lesser
lights were present.
Fifteen hundred of these belonging
to the Cheynae river agency, the bal.
ance are delegations from Standing
Rock, Rose Bud, and Spotted Tail
agency. These are all blanket Indians,
and 1900 were the late hostiles under
Sitting Bull. Although the pow-wow
had been planned rather secretly, your
correspondent got onto their racket and
boarded the steamer Gen. Terry, Fri
day morning at this place, and after
pleasant trip arrived at the agency
Fl. Bennett-at 6 o'clock p. m. where
we made no a party consisting of Mai.
Leonard Love, Indian Agent at this
post, Col. Geo. l.. Ordway, DR.. d. Scott,
and ID. S. Williams, Of Pierre. Start
ing at eight O'Clock we bowled across
the prairie and along the beautiful val
ley of the Cheyenne behind the Ma.
jor's spanking bays until within half
mile of the encampment, where we
called halt and sent forward the
majors clerk, Mr.. Walch, TO ask per-
mission to enter. During the absence
of Walch we had ample time for re.
fiectlon. Here we were on the out
skirts Of an Indian village numbering
5000, and many of them but lately
hostiles, we We're thirty miles from the
post, the time midnight.
THE SCENE WAS INDEsCRiBABLE
as well as our feelings. Behind the
moon was struggling through big, gray
clouds; before us lay the cleaning
camp-tires of the savages who were
making night hideous with cries, groans
and yells. Twenty minutes later Mr..
Walch galloped back with permission
to enter. We drove forward and were
soon in the midst of a scene that beg
CARS description. After introcluctions
to Rafting Rib, Red Skirt and Fair
Weather, Major Loves little ten-year-
old son, Willie, acting as Interpreter,
we were escorted to the arena, circu-
lar enclosure containing about an acre
Of 80,
shed of poles covered with blankets,
with the open side fronting the enclos-
ure. In the centre Of the ring was a
cottonwood tree eight inches in dame
ter and thirteen feet high, from which
the bark had been peeled, small
tuft of branches remaining at the top.
This pole was ornamented with med
icine Things mysterious), midway from
the bottom to top hung a sheaf of sa-
cred herbs. Beside were innum cradle
ornaments of nondescript character,
Shortly after we entered the arena
party of twenty or more began the
beating of drums and chanting of pray.
ers, which called into the ring two
young men-naked except the breech-
clout - ornamented with paint and
feathers, each carrying in his hand a
dozen bone whistles ornamented also
WITH feathers, these commenced dane
ing, at the same time blowing a whistle
and keeping their eyes fixed on the
moon. Couple after couple Joined UNI
til there were at least fifty dancing in
semi circular rows, dancing and whist
ing, now fast, now slow. the C adence of
the whistles.
KEEPING TINE WITH THE DRUMS.
Every ten or fifteen minutes was
brief pause, when the drums would
stop and the dancers change whistles.
This is the dance ofthe moon and is an
invocation to the gods. The only words
our little interpreter could catch were
Lord, we are praying to Thee" This
was kept up until daylight. To give
the reader a proper understanding of
the following ceremony that took place
during the interval from daybrcak I'M
til sunrise, / will preface it by word
of explanation: When an Indian de-
sires to steal a horse or a squaw, or be
successful in any enterprise, he goes to
to the top of the highest hill, and there
covenants with his gods to bestow upon
him certain gifts, if he succeeds in his
undertaking, to be offered at the next
annual festival. These offerings are
thrown into the ring, and each Indian
has the privilege of catching the gift,
if he cam he who catches being con-
sidered the favorite Of the gods. Short,
ly after daylight began this Offering;
pieces Of wood, sticks, stones and
i-ltners attached to pebbles were
thrown into the ring, each piece repre-
senting a horse, dog, gun or other gift,
the catcher calling upon the owner and
receiving the property represented.
About 100 yards from the arena we
were shown I large tepee made of raw
hides, within which were eight young
preparing for the ordeal and the tor
ture. Notwithstanding the intense heat, |
a fire was kept up on the inside for the
purpose of steaming them. This is |
the first step in the ordeal of torture.
At sunrise they were led forth, after |
having been subjected to tempera-
ture of 100 degrees for period Of 4s |
bpura u,itbput food or wotpr Wha,, |