The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-24
THE SUN DANCE.
An Ordeal Which Young sioux Braves Pass
TO Pay Their Vows.

Following Is description Of the sun dance
Just completed at Rosebud Agency, OAK:
On Friday scouting party was sent out
TO discover suitable pole Tor the center of
The dancing circle, aud the next day the pole,
tall elm, was cut by an Indian maiden
consecrated TO this Office and not allowed to
marry. Her name Is Her Pipe, and she is
niece Of Standing Bear. When the pole
had been trimmed and placed In position
then came the "charge on the pole" A thou
sand warriors on thousand horses rushed
pell NELL down the hill and around the
camp. They and their horses were decked
with green branches. These were the men
who cIrcled around Clusters little band, and
many rode In saddles that belonged TO that
command. A pavilion Of boughs was built
about the pole, aud by Sunday evening the
grass In the arena was tramped smooth with
peculiar ceremony and all was ready.
Just as the moon came up the dancers 10
the sun, fifteen Ia all, entered TO fulfill their
various Oaths.
They were Follow.a. Woman, Lives-in-the
Air, Plenty Hole, White Calf, Point at Three,
He Dog, Little Day, Little Boy, Hollow
Horn, and Troublesome Hawk. They were
naked to the waist, and wore skirts made of
red plaid shawls. Panels Of blue hung from
their belts in front and behind. On their
chests were representations Of the sun, and
from their wrists hung totems of families.
The singers began to howl and beat the
drum. The dancers put to their lips the
gooscbone whistles, trimmed with the rare
feather Of the "medlcine bird" and began 10
hop up aud down. As long as they danced
they were 10 whistle, and they were TO dance
until the next shutdown. Some women, TO
supplement the music, began TO "ki-i-yi' in
a shrill key, and TO beat hide spread upon
the ground.
There was not Il lghr in the enclosure.
The pole, Guttering with banners, stood out
in the moonlight; near its top was bound a
bundle Of willow twigs, which gave 1t some
resemblance to the Christian cross. A figure
of a buffalo and Of an Indian, made Of hide,
dangled from this. One represented the sun;
the other, white on one side, black on the
other, the good and the bad spirit. All
night the dancing never tagged. While the
moon was up the faces Of the dancers were
turned and their Clark arms outstretched to
1t, but when Gheezis, the sun, came, they
turned toward him and prayed earnestly.
They faced him all day. If one showed
signs of breaking down, he was taken to the
shade and took a pull at pine or pinch of
wild sage TO encourage saliva.
The Indians look on indiffcrently and eat
hard bread and boiled dog, which the squaws
have brought in dirty black kettles. Outside
the little Indian boys are playing tricks on
each other, the older ones making love by
catching some dusky maiden and standing
with her, wrapped in the same blanket, for
hours in full view. Pappooses are brought into
the arena TO have their ears pierced, cere-
mony which admits them into Sioux fellow
ship. The operation is not actually per-
formed there, but at home, and great
amount Of calico and a pony have to be
given away for the privilege. During this
week between COO and 700 ponies have been
given away in q sort of communistlc distri-
button by the Indians.
About noon the chief medicine man began
10 paint the dancers who were to be tied TO
the pole. This done, their guide led them
TO the four points Of the compass, and, with
his arms extended in a wavy motion, blew
his whistle softly. At the pole his prayer
was offered In Dakota "God, we are come
TO observe the day You give us. We stand
upon our feet to give our flesh to You.
Look at us, at our wives, our children, our
friends, and help us TO bear this trial" Then
llow-a-Woman, the first TO suffer, was
thrown on the ground, and the medicine man
skillfully made two missions with sharp
knife over each breast, In the vicinity of the
pectoral muscles. The flesh was lifted, and
q hard wood skewer was thrust under and
fastened by sinews to the rope which hung
from the pole. Already weakened by fifteen
hours exertion, thirst and hunger, the young
brave was 10 strain at the rope until he broke
loose by tearing out his own flesh. It did
not last long. In five minutes he was dane.
ing with the other as If nothing had hap
pened. The parasol which some one then
allowed him would have made him ridic-
ulous figure had not the red blood been seen
coursing down his body.
Lives-in-the-Air was next. He tore out
one stick in 10 minutes and was then re-
leased from tearing out the other by the gift
Of three ponies.
Poor Dog had dogs luck. His cuts
seemed to be deeper. He struggled and
pulled, then gave the rope slack and danced
about the unbending pole until, suddenly
jerking back, the flesh would stand out two
or three inches from the breast. The squaws
who came near TO throw clothes at his feet
or on the rope as gifts to the poor, turned
back crying. Twenty minutes OF this agony
and no outcry, A fiend came up, and catch.
ing this man around the waist gave q tre-
mendous pull. Even this did not break the
stout integument, and IL was not until half
an hour had passed that the brave dancer
fell back upon the earth, painting and weak,
with two great wounds in his breast.
One more exhibition remained. Yellow
was cut In the shoulder and skewer inserted
from which 4 rope was passed around the
neck Of horse. The animal was hit, and
tossing Its head tore the instrument of tor.
ture from It's neshy bed. Several men who
did not dance had bits of flesh cut from their
arms, as did some squaws, either to make the
amount Of torture due from their husbands
less, or TO satisfy vows Of their own. The
dancers were d sickening sight, tottering
about, their whistles still clinging to their
dry lips. Not single one of them had
failed In the ordeal, however, which ceased
at shutdown. Not one had cried out for re-
lief or made sign Of distress. If he had he
would have lost his place among the warriors
forever. He would have ranked with the
squaws, and even they would have despised
him.
The Smallest Io.ap,ntIw.