Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-09-20
The Tradition Of Scalp Taking.

The Tradition Of Scalp Taking.
A representative of Montana paper
mounted on a horse, made q trip across
the main range of the Rocky Noun
tains, following an old-fcrgotten Indian
trail At noon he stopped among the
pines on the summit to rest his pony
and lunch. While thus engaged his at
tention was attracted TO a solitary horse
man coming up the trail from the west,
who. on near approach, proved to be an
old Indian. When he came up he stop
ped and said ''hown' and ON being
invited to dismount, he did so slowly
and carefully, The old braves form
was bent with age. His long hair, once
like the ravens wing, was now bleached
by the suns and storms of perhaps a
century His ewes had lost the bright
ness Of youth. His step, uncertain and
slow, gave evidence that his journey of
life was drawing to a close.
He was asked to eat and did SO with
avidity The traveller asked MIN few
questions and found that he spoke Eng
fish we'll On being asked what tribe
he belonged to, he said he was Mohi-
can. Nearly 100 years ago, he said, his
tribe, numbering only about 100 in all,
removed from New York to west of the
great lakes. Some of them he still be-
lieved to be there. Soon after this,
while he was still small boy he was
stolen by n hostile band OF Western In
dians and had been with the British
Crees for many years, and had been adj
vanced to the position of chief medicine
man. This he filled until few weeks
ago when, by failing to save the life OF
a sick daughter, of one of the principal
chiefs he was compelled, in order to
save his life, to leave the tribe He was
now making his way East to the great
lakes. where he hoped to find some
remnants of his people.
The newspaper man had quite long
and interesting talk with Otowatse, rs
he called himself, and among other
things asked him the purpose of the In
dians in scalping their enemies, and
where and how the custom originated.
He replied that the custom had now
become one of revenge and hatred. but
that scalps at one time were only taken
after battle to show how many OF
their number had been slain. A war.
party, by comparing the number OF
their own warriors missing, could tell
which side was victorious in point of eX-
ecution on the foe The origin of the
custom, he said, was only explained by
tradition. The tradition is in substance
as follows
Hundreds of years ago--perhaps thou
sands-when the Indians were all one
tribe and under one great chief, dis
pute arose in the tribe as to who should
become chief, the old chief having died
without leaving a son to succeed him.
There were two principal aspirants for
the cheftaincy, and each of them had
strong following. The dispute ended
in dividing the tribe, and in war. Pre-
vious to this time scalping was unknown
as there were no enemies 20 scalp, the
land being occupied by only one people.
Peace was never made between the two
factions The chief Of one side had a
beautiful daughter, and one of the lead
ing warriors was a sutton for her hand.
The chief, as a condition to consentino
to give his daughter to her warrior
lover. required him to kill the chief OF
the opposing tribe (his old-time rival
for the chieftaincy) and bring him proof
of the act. The warrior accepted the
condition. 1t was many long miles to
the camp of the enemy, and the snow
was deep, but he Immediately set out
upon his mission After lying in wait
near the camp of the enemy, for days,
and undergoing great suffering from the
extreme cold without having an oppor-
tunity Of carrying out his plan, he final
ly, one night, boldly entered the camp,
walked into the great chiefs lodge,
slew him, and cutting off his head to
take back with him rs proof, started to
return to his people. The next morn
ing the murder was discovered, also the
murderer tracks in the snow and drops
of blood which had fallen from the chief
tain's head. Two hundred warriors
started in pursuit of the murderer
They almost overlook him. and he could
hear them on his track He was almost
tired out, and the dead chiefs head was
growing heavy, yet he struggled on
with it through the snow and the cold,
determined not to relinquish the proof
which would win for him his bride The
pursuers pressed him so at length that
ne threw away every weight but his tro-
phy. They finally gained on the weary
brave so fast that it seemed that he
must either relinquish bis prize or be
captured. which. of course, would be
death. Whipping out his rude knife
Git was before the time of steel knives,
among the Indians he hurredly stripped
off the scalp from the dead mans head
and sped on. Thus lightened OF his
load BE made bis own camp in safety.
The scalp was sufficient proof that 6e
had fulfilled his mission. the old chief
no longer withheld his consent. and the
bright-eyed daughter Of the forest be-
came his own. Thus originated the
custom OF sca.ping among the Ameri
can Indians. Heleaa, (N0nimc) H.