The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-09-06
The Tradition Of Scalp Taking.

thC main 'AdlSSS " pIlS 10oGhy hOuHL-
aims, following an osd-forgotten Indian
trail AT noon he suoppej among the
pines on the summis to rest his pony
and to lunch. While thus engaged his
attention was attracted to a solitary
horseman coming up the srail from the
west, who, on near approach, proved
to be an old Indian. When he~eame
up he stopped and said ''how!'' and on
being invited to dismount, he did 50.
slowly and carefully. The old brave,s4
form was bent with age. His long
hair, once like the ravens wing, was
now bleached by the suns and storms of
perhaps century His eyes had lost
the brightness of youth. His step, un-
certain and slow, gave evidence that
his journey of life was drawing to
close sara f
He was asked to ieat and did so with
ayidity. The traveller asked him few
questions and found that he spoke En-
glish well. On being asked what tribe
he belonged to, he said he was a Mohi-
can. Nearly one hundred years ago, he
said, his tribe, numbering only about.
one hundred in all, removed from New
York to west of the great lakes Some
of them he believed to still be there.
Soon after this, while he was small
boy, he had been stolen by hostile
band of, western Indians and had been
with the British Crees for many years,
and had been advanced to the position
of chief medicine man. This he filed
until few weeks ago, when, by failing
to save the life of a sick daughter Of
one of the principal chiefs, he was COM
PEELED, in order to save his life, to leave
the tribe. He was now making his wav
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, as
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.
Otowatse replied that the custom had
now become one of revenge and hatred
but that scalps at one time were only
taken to show after battle how many
OF their enenay had been slain. A war
party, by comparing the number of
scalps taken with the number of their
own warriors missing, could tell which
side was victorious in point of execu-
tion on the foe. The origin Of the Gus
tom, he said, was only explained by
tradition. The tradition is in substance
as follows: dCE& 10 alsls
: Hundreds of years ago-perhaps
thousands when the Indians were all
one tribe and under one great chief, a
dispute arose in the tribe as to- who
should become chief, the old chief haY-
ing died without IleaVing q ii son to sue
ceed him. There were two. principal
aspirants for the chieftaincy, and each
of them had strong following. The
dispute ended in dividing the tribe and
in war. Previous to this time scalping
was unknown, as There were no. enc
mics to scalp, the land being occupied
by only one people. Peace was never
made between the tive factions.al The
chief of eRs.side@had beautiful daugh-
ter and one of the leading warriors,
was suitor for. her hand. Theschief,
as a condition to consenting to give his.
daughter to her warrior lover, required
him. to kill the chief of the opposing
tribe {Kis 6ld-tirne rival fol. The chief
taincy,) and to 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 inswaitl near the enemy's
camp fol, days, and undergoing great
suffering from the extreme cold without
having an opportunity of carrying out
his plan, he finally, one night; boldly
entered the camp, walked into the great
chiefs lodge, slew him. and cutting off
his head to take back, with him as proof,
started to return to his own people.
The next morning the murder was dis
covered, also the .murderer's tracks in
the snow and drops of blood which had
fallen from the dead chieftain's capt
tired head Two hundred warriors
started, in pursuit of the. murderer.
They almost overlook him. and he could
hearthem on his track He was almost
tired out. and the dead chief head was
growing heavy, yet he struggled on with
It through the snow and the cold, de-
termined not to relinquish, the proof
which would win for him his bride.
The pursliers pressed him 80 at length
that he threw away every weight but
his trophy. They finally gained on the
weary brave sofast that It seemed thai
he must either relinquish his prize or
be captured, which, of course, would be
death. isW Whipping this rude knife lit,
was before the time of steel, knives
among the Indians, hehtirrfedly Stripped
off the scalp from the dead man & head
and sped on. Thus lightened of his,
load he made his, own camp in safety.
The scalp was accepted as sufficient
proof thatihe had fulfilled his mission,
the old chief no longer withheld his
consent, and the bright-eyed daughter
of the forestsbecame his own. Thus
originated the custom of scalping
among the American Indians Helena
(Montatsa) Independent.
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