The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-08-17
The Omaha Dance,

The performances of thB day open
with the first part of the ''Omaha
Dance" participated in by men and
women, the former furnishing the CT
chestra, the latter the corps de 6dELets.
Upon the grass are seated cross-legged
dozen young men, surrounding largo
drum, upon which they beat with sticks,
whilst few yards off fifty or more
squaws, formed in single file, are dane
ing in circle around q tent, keeping
time with the music, and chanting in a
weird, dismal monotone. In turn each
OF the young men springs to his feet.
and rushing to camp fire, over which
are suspended low pots, plunges in his
naked arm, and draws forth piece of
meat from the seething, bubbling, boil
ing water. These performances are
repeated at intervals until noon, when
an hour is taken for dinner, consisting,
for the participants of the dance, of dog
meat, this repulsive food being regard
ed by the Indians as the greatest deli
cacy afforded by their cuisine. Interest
is increased when, at one o'clock, the
multitude reassembles, and the grand
conclusion of the Omaha dance is be-
gun. In rapid succession more than q
hundred braves bound through the
crowd into the open. Each wears q
breech clout and head dress of gaudy
colors, and their sinewy, issome bodies,
otherwise naked, are painted, some with
allegorical pictures suggesting battle
and murder, others with legs encircled
by stripes. and rough drawings of
snakes, lizards and deaths heads in
blue. black, yellow and red, covering
their arms, whilst TO the untamed, wild
beast expression of their eyes tenfold
forocity is added by the bright vermill-
ion with which their faces are streaked.
Every warrior has either gun, bow or
war club, and many wear shining breast
plates and armlets or anklets Of brass,
with jingling bells attached. The
braves are then formed in circle, about
fifty feet in diameter, in the centre of
which are the drum and the drummers,
and at the signal all commence dane
ing, some with the lightness and grace
of q ballroom swell, others twisting
their bodies into grotesque shapes, keep
ing time the while to the pounding of
the drum, and uniting their strident
voices in a frightful medley of sound,
like, more than anything else, the yelp-
ing chorus of thousand ours. Out
side, four gorgeously dressed braves,
mounted on ponies painted and richly
caparisoned, form a guard of honor
around the dancers.
Meanwhile, toward the drum and
back, again and again, the latter go,
their motions each moment growing
more rapid and furious, and the chorus
growing louder and harsher, till, worn
out with the violent exertion, they drop
out of the ring one by one and seat
themselves, cross legged, in their re-
spective places. The beating of the
drum has now ceased, and those war
riors who have won renown in battle
successively rise to their feet, and In a
! few and dignifed words boasts of their
cunning in council and exploits in war.
When these interesting and modest au-
tobiographies have been concluded, and
the breasts of the young braves fired
with noble desire to initiate the deeds
of men so heroic, the dance is again be-
gun, and when at its height an Indian
| boy of fourteen, riding beautiful po-
ny, pushes rudely into the circle, and is
at once surrounded by the excited and
noisy dancers. They dance and yell
around the horse and rider, grasping
the former, as he rears and plunges, by
the mane and tail and bride. until the
boy, seemingly anxious to leave the surg
ing crowd, makes q pretence of escap-
ing. When near the outer edge of the
| dancers a visiting Indian shoots an ar
row into his thigh. Whereupon the
youth, turning in apparent fury, strikes
the assailant with a stick, and then, dis
mounting, turns the pony loose, to be
caught by the squaws and handed over
to the visitor, whose property he now
is. The boy is then given in charge OF
the squaws, who, after dressing his
wounds, twine chaplet of leaves
around his brow, and dance and sing
around him till nightfall.