The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-13


red is always selected i'll preference to any other
About each Indians head is worn shawl of
many coors, made into sort of turban Cheap
jewelry is highly priced and it is no unusual
sight to see dozen brass rings on braves
hands They worn without any regard to
fingers, all being treated alike; and if ring
happens to be too large for the largest finger it
goes on the thumb. The effect of ring with
prodigous ''stone" in it, worn on the thumb, is
very striking to say the least, though presume
it would look "all right" when one got used to it.
Beads are highly priced among the Indians and
some of them seem to have bought them by the
pound instead of the string, judging by the
quantity worm
At one side the squaws and papooses were
grouped together. Neither of these elements of
the tribe is allowed to take part in the powwow.
Among these Indians. as among most tribes. the
women are considered of but little account; they
are obliged to do the hard work about the camp.
cook, take care Of the papooses and act as beasts
of burden when camp is broken up. L have
often seen great healthy Indians mounted on
ponies small that the riders feet barely es-
capped the ground, while in the rear the poor
squaw was plodding along under load of kettles,
mats Of woven rushes, of which part of the wig
wan is built, and Dapoose The ''brave' tries
to look very dignifed in his gaudy blanket, with
gun across his horse in front of him and always
a clay pipe in his mouth, and n general thing
so much dirt on his face that no amount of war
| paint. provided he used the article, would show
| through. He always seems to be satisfied with
looks at him with admiration expressed on her
rather inexpensive face. The old or last years
blanket is turned over to hero the arrival Of the
| new ones, and she never has the
| opportunity to make such brilliant display
as her lord and master does. Her dresses, how
| ever-for all the women of these tribes wear a
sort of Mother Hubbard" gown-are always
| gorgeous during the early stage of their exist
enoe; but this stage is limited to the first three
or four days, grease and dirt taking possession
of them after that time, the poor squaw enjoys
only brief and ieeting glory, and subsidies into
| the general squaor which makes all of them
look alike The papooses wear but one garment
| from spring to cold weather, a sort of shirt OF
| bright calico, which is never washed and Is
never taken off, so far as could judge, until it
| wears off
| AS we stood there we saw the Indians forming
into line at one side of the circle of fires Pretty
| soon we heard humping that was kept up in
regular time, and none of u.s. with the exception
of Brown, knew how it was produced. We found
afterward that it was made by striking on thin
| pieces of hemlock fastened on box like frame.
| The pieces were struck with sticks and the vi
brations of the wood gave out a feeble imitation
| of the sound of drum; sound which be
| heard a long way off, but is utterly lacking in
| ability to give pleasure to any but an Indians
| ears. Perhaps it used at these powwows because
it does not give pleasure. If that is the case, 1t
is appropriately selected, for the monotonous
thump. thump thump, soon became almost un-
| hcarabe to u.s. One by one the Indians left
the line they had formed and sprang into
| the space between the fires and the mound, ut
tering low dismal shrieks and cries. After the
ring was completed about the mound sort Of
dance began which seemed to be the 'go-as-
| you-please" order, for there was no regularity
| about it. Each Indian seemed to extemporize
| step of his own, and the variety was certainly
sufficient to relieve this part of the performance
| of the charge of sameness Presently the music
grew faster, and the cries of the dancers became
| louder Such wild, dismal sounds l never heard
before They haunted me all night AT rgu-
| lar intervals the dancers would face the mound
and give utterance to a howl in chorus-it could
be called nothing else with due regard to truth
and the effect anything but pleasant; just
as | have imagined blood thirsty warriors to
howl when scalping victims
The dance was kept up for perhaps half an
| hour-as long, l should judge. as the partici-
| pants could stand it without becoming tired,
something an Indian always objects to on prin-
ciple.
Guess we'd better go down an talk with em
a little" said Brown, and we followed him down
the ledge and into the camp The squaws
| mumbed and chartered about US to each othe-
| as passed them, the papooses eyed us keenly
and curiously, and the braves welcomed us with
eager demand for "toback' and whisky Whisky
is not allowed an Indian, and any one selling it
to him is fined or imprisoned when the offense is
proved. There is nothing Indian will not do
to crafty his taste for liquor. He will
work in lazy fashion if he thinks he will get
drink of whisky at the end of it. We had none
for them, but Brown turned over to them all the
'toback" he had, and the four or five who were
fortunate enough to get chew gave grunts of
satisfaction, while the others looked on with dis
approval.
We talked with them for perhaps an hour
They told us that there were several hundred
buried in the mounds that the Great Spirit
would be angry if they did not come here once
a year to perform these ceremonies; that what
we had seen all that we would be likely to
see if we remained all night for the ceremonies
We're the same over and over, all night, and all
the tiiie of their stay.
That being the case, we thought it better to
withdraw, and we did so after the close of
another dance What the meanings of the cere-
monies are none of the Indians seemed to know
l do not suppose they cared to know. They
hold their powwows from force of habit merely
and not from any religious convictions or educa-
ton; for these poor splriGless fragments of the
old tribes have no religion, seemingly, and have
lost all the pride and ambition that character
lied their ancestors and which led them to keep
alive the old traditions and observe the old rites
and ceremonies. The Indian of o-day in this
State has given up all but the powwow and he
would give that up if it were not for super
stitious fear of what might happen if he were to
neglect this mark of regard for the dead. do
not think his superstition would be as strong as
his desire for whisky, for | am quite sure that
he would forego powwows for all time to come
if by SO doing he would secure enough of the
miserable stuff to enable him to have what he
calls cheap good time" But we cannot blame
the poor degenerate creature for this, for we
have men of intelligence and ability among us
who would do as much as the Indian will for
drink Of poison to soul and body.
Pacific Coast Curiosity.