The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-11-22
AN INDIAN POWWOW.
A Religious Rite In Commemora-
ton of the Dead.
How 1t Is Performed by Remnant of the
Menomonee Tribe in Wisconsin--The
Indians Inordinate Desire for
Whisky.

"Would you like to attend a pow
wowp" asked my friend Brown, at
whose camp in the pine wood party
of us was stopping, for weeks rest
and few trout.
Wouldn't Ip'' was my reply. 81
have always desired to witness such
ceremony" A powwow, as l presume
most of my readers know, is sort of
religious rite performed annually in
cemmemoration of the dead. 1t is gen.
wrally held at some place where large
number of Indians are buried together.
"Well, then, if nothing happens, you
can crafty that desire tonight, said
Brown. "Years ago the smallpox
killed off about half the tribe of Me-
nomonees, and their burial ground-or
mound, rather, for they are all buried
together in great heap-is about three
miles from this place. / saw some In
dams to-day, and, on asking them
where they were going, they told me
that powwow began tonight"
''Are they willing to receive visitorsP"
/ asked.
80, yes,' answered Brown; nothing
pleases them more"
We set off Just before dark. The trail
we followed led through the pine woods
and was so slight that an unframed
eye never would have known there
was one But Brown, who has spent
most of his life in the woods, has be-
come almost an Indian in the tricks and
accomplishment of woodcraft, and he
seemed to find it easy to keep in the
path without the aid of lantern which
we had suggested, much to his amuse-
ment The night was not positively
the way through the woods was at best
very shadowy and obscure one."
"Harkr' said Brown, as we climbed
to the top of ridge. We listened, and
heard family sounds that reminded me
of the bowling of wolves, as remembered
from my childhood, which had been
spent in wild, unsettled country where
wolves and other wild animals were
things we were so familiar with that
Familiarity" almost ''bred contempt. :"
That's them," said Brown. ''It's
always the same thing over'n over.
Sh'd think they'd get tired of it and
have change some time, but they
don't"
AS we went down the long slope of
the ridge the sound began to grow
more distinct. Now it would come on
the wind from the valley and seem near
by; then the wind would die away, and
the sound with it, until it seemed far
off. 1t was sound between howl
and wall, pitched in a minor key, and
very mournful. 1t suggested grief, and
was precisely the sound you would
expect a man to make in expression of
his sorrw if he had no words to express
it in. All people express grief in sounds
very much alike when no words are
used, / think. There seems to be a
universal language for the various emo
tions we experience, whether of joy or
sorrow.
Presently we began to see lights shin
ing through the trees. A sharp turn in
the trail led us into clear space on the
side of the hill, from which we could
look into the Indian camp, which was
situated on small stream running
through the valley almost beneath our
feet. The wigwams were at one side OF
clearing of perhaps an acre in extent
There were probably about thirty Of
them. The once powerful Menomonee
tribe is reduced to about two hundred
men, women and children, and is
doomed to become extinct in few
years. In front of each wigwam
smouldered fire about which the cook
ing had been DONE At the other end
of the clearing was a circle of fires, fed
from piles of resinous pine split into
small strips. These ignited immedi
ately and sent out brilliant blaze
which gave out dense black smoke
which rose and blended in with the
gloom of the pines encircling the little
camp. In the center of the circle Of
fires rose large mound, overgrowr
with bushes. In this the dead had beer
buried in one CHASTITY heap.
''For years they wouldn't come neal
the spot" said Brown. ssWas afrai(
they'd catch the disease that carried
the others off, you see. There's moth
ing in the world the Injun's so mucl
afraid of as smallpox. And well h,
may be, for it goes hard with 'em.n
1t seems that one part of the ceremo
MES of the evening had been completed
just before we came in sight of the camp
for the Indians were standing about il
little groups outside the line of fires
Most of them were clad in the gayes
attire, which consists of buckskin leg
gins, long shirt of gaudy calico, pro
fusely ruffled, and a blanket. TIL,
brighter the blanket the more it i
priced, and one of vivid green or famin,
red is always selected in preference
to any other. About each Indian
head is worn shawl of many colors
made into sort of turban. Cheal
jewelry is highly priced, and it is nj
unusual sight to see dozen brass ring
on braves hands. They are worl
without any regard to fingers, all bein,
treated alike; and if ring happens t.
be too large for the. largest finger, j
goes on the thumb. The effect OF a rim,
with prodigious ''stone' in it worl
on the thumb is very striking, to say tn
least, though presume it would loo
'sall right when one got used to il
Beads are highly priced among the In
dams, and some Of them seem to hav
bought them by the pound instead Q
the string, Judging by the quantit
worn.
At one side the squaws and pappoose
were grouped together: Neither 9