The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-09-18
THE GREEN CORN DANCE.
A Time-Honored Indian Fes-
tiVal Described.
Lighting the Sacred Fire Followed by
Three Days Feasting

Three Days Feasting.
A letter from the Indian Territory
thus graphically describes an annual
aboriginal celebration; Fifty years
ago the Green Corn Festival was a
aourishing annual pastime among the
Creeks, Wyandottes and other tribes.
1t had religious significance, of course,
and was regarded in the light of New
Years celebration. There was no fixed
date for it,but every summer just when
the green corn was ripening the Chiefs
sent out an order for tho making of
now pottery, and Il second order naming
the day for the opening of the festivi-
ties.
Runners laden with bundles of small
sticks carried them to all pats of the
tribe. Each bundle had as many sticks
as there were days intervening between
its reception and the beginning of the
festival, AS the days passed the sticks
were thrown aside until the last was
reached, when preparations were made
for the departure to the festival grounds.
These were selec ed remote from any
habitation and near the bank of stream.
Four log houses were constructed on
the grounds in such manner that
they inclosed large square, entrance
TO which was had through wide spaces
between the houses Each house
opened on this square, which was filled
with new earth. The Enclosure was
sacred, and the print of no foot touched
1t until the opening of the ceremonies.
Rude splotches of paint were on the
buildings. and from tall poles claws
and feathers were displayed. Here
the men, women and children of the
tribe congregated, and early on the
date announced the trouble began. as
the minstrels were wont to say. Pre-
vious to this there had been fasting.
and from now on until the close of the
festival the men and women lived
apart.
When the square was ready all the
fires in the surrounding towns were
extinguished, and the houses swept
and washed. EEmities were forgotten
and crimes were overlooked the
criminal who succeeded in sneaking
unobseIved into the crowd at the
square being at once granted full alb
solution for his offense.
The first ceremony of the festival
was lighting the sacred fire. A square
board with circular hollow was pro-
duced. and the ashes of the forest tres
Or of dry leaves were placed in the
nollow. The Chiefs then took turns
at whirliDg sticks until flame was
produced. From this fame bits of
wood were lighted to convey fire to
their homes Wood was then heaped
upon the original FIRE in the square, a
new pot was brought, and what was
called the black drink brewed Two
lines of warriors danced up to and
back from the boiling pot, uttering a
low chant and winding up with war
whoop. Then two Chiefs took gourds
and drank some of the inky brew
The warriors drank afterward, AMI al.
most rs suddenly elected the draught,
spewing it all over the new earth. An
other dance followed, which was in
terrupted suddenly by wild shouts, a:
the warriors pursued one Of theil
number who.had dropped hat or rib
bon or something into the river, strik.
ing at him when they could, and only
ceasing their efforts at violence wher
he plunged into the water. Return
ing to the square, the dance was re
newed. Then during the day there
were ball play, and the bear dance, the
panther dance and the buffalo dance
in each of which the Indians covered
themselves with tie skins of the ami
NAL in whose honor they were dancing
The days celebration closed with
trial OF fortitude, to which children O
from four TO twelve years were sub
mitted. The children were carried in
to the square, and the breast and limbs
lacerated with sal needles, avis ant
f1ints These things were dug into tn
quivering flesh of the young and Ion:
gashes cut; if the child flinched, tn
warrior Chief cut all the deeper. Man.
of the young, however, scooped up tn
| blood from Their wounds with stick:
and spattered the buildings with it
More grooming and dancing closed TIN
ceremony and wound up the first day
programme.
On the second day the drinking ant
dancing incidents of the first day wer
repeated, and ears of green corn wer
brought in and presented to the chiei
who took them, and after an invoca
ton to Gitchie Manitou, the mighty
that the corn of the following year b
plentiful, handel them back. Wa
dances ensued, after which the men re
tired, and the women, led by two oil,
warriors, who did clown acts, dance
and sung to the accompaniment of rat
ting gourds. At given signal tn
war-whoop was given, and the womei
rushed out Of the square aud swarme,
upon mound near by. At fou
points. near the base of the mound
were as many stuffed figures. TIL
warriors crouched in the surroundin
corntields and stole forward. making
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