Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-09-17
THE GREEN CORN DANCE.
A Tinne-Honored Indian Fes-
tival Described.
Lighting the Sacred Fire Followed by
Three Days Feastipg.

Creeks, Wyandottes and other tribes.
It had a religious significance, of course,
and was regarded in the light OF a New
Years celebration. There was no fixed
Late for t,but every summer just when
the green corn was ripening the Chiefs
sent out an order for the making Of
new pottery,and second order naming
the day for the opening of the festiyi-
ties
Runners laden with bundles of small
sticks carried them to all pats of the
tribe. Each bundle had as many sticks
rs there were days intervening between
its reception and the beginning of the
festival. As the days passed thcstlcks
were thrown aside until the last was
reached, when preparations were made
forthedeparture tothe festival grounds.
These were selec ed remote from any
habitation and the bank ola stream.
-Four log houses were constructed on
tho grounds in such a manner that
They incloSel large square, entrance
towhich was had through wide spaces
between the houses. Each house
opened on this square, which was filled
with new earth. The inclosure was
sacred, and the print Of no foot touched
it 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 Ministries 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 EEmide5 were forgotten
and crimes were overlooked the
lriminal who succeeded in sneaking
unobselved into the crowd at the
square being at once granted full alb
solution for his olfense.
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 tree
"r of dry leaves were placed in the
nollOw. The Chiefs then took turns
at whirling sticks until flame vas
produced. From this flame bits Of
wood were lighted to convey fire to
their homes Wood was then hcaped
upon the original fire in the square, a
new pct 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
uhvor. Th.u tuo Chief tool. oO'''ds
AMI drank some of the inky brew.
The warriors drank afterward, and 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 a 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
newell. Then during the day there
were ball play, and the bear dance, thu
panther dance and the buffalo dance
in each of which the Indians covered
themselves with the skins of the ami
nal in whose honor they were dancing
The DAYS celebration closed with ;
trial of fortitude, to which children 0
from four to twelve years were sui
mitted. The children were carried in
to the square, and the breast and limb
Acemted with sal needles, avis an
lints. These things were dug into tn
quiycring flesh of the young and Ion
gashes cut; if the child tlinched, 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 i
More grooming and dancing closed til
ceremony and wound up the first day
programme.
On the second day the drinking an
dancing incidents Of the first day wer
repeated, and ears of green corn wei
brought in and presented to the chic
who took them, and after an inyoci
ton to Gitchie Manitou, the might,
that the corn of the following year |
plentiful, handel them back. Wa
dances ensued, after which the mon RI
tired, and the women, led by two oil
warriors. who did clown acts, dance
and sung to the accompaniment of ra
ting gourds. At a given signal tn
war-whoop was given, and the wome
rushed out of the square and swarme
upon a mound near by. At fot
points, near the base of the noun
were as many stuffed figures. TT
warriors crouched in the Surroundir
cornfelds and stole forward, making
final rush to the mound, and am
shouts and shots, carrying off IL
stuffed figures. One figure was stole
away, or made prisoner; the sccor
was grasped by the waist, flung in tt
air, and ripped up the back with