The Hazlehurst signal., 1884-02-21

man swung II on school-bcnch in tho
middle OF the room. Six chiefs, headed
by Head-Chicf Daniel La Fort. slt on n
bench ut right angles with the dog :
head. and six ccntennrian sq.iaws SAT
opposite on q bench behind the dogs
decorated tail.
The med cinr.man's aids sat down.
and he b,gan solemn chant as no
walked around and a-ounl the dog. Ills
bearing was impressive and his singing
very weird. suddenly he stopped bo.
fore a chief. who told him what especial
blessing he desired from the Almighty.
The medicine. repeated the chicl :
words in his monotonous song. Az tho
next turn the next chief named his
needs. and so the chiefs and the sIhaws
one after the other urged their petitions
through their priest. Presently the mc'l'
icinc-man started for the door. and his
aids followed, one carving the decornt'
ell dog. They went oycrto the council
room of the SnircS, the Bears and the
Deer, and there repeated the ceremony.
Here the dog was laid la n pretty wick
or basket. II was such aS New York
merchants uSc as rcccptaclcs for waste
paper. except that u was hung With col.
orcd ribbons and was onc-third lull oi
cheap tobacco. When the prayers ended
all followed the mcdicinc-man, tho has.
kct and the dog across the campus anil
through the biz council-hall. where all
the Others Joined them. and filed behind
them in n march around and around the
outside o' the building.
Going back Ia the council-rcom again
they laid the dpg aud the basket down
i'm front uf the stove. Nobody but an
Indian could have looked with a grave
face upon the sub,ti'ut'On of n modern
|, Itica.ma,lc stove for the funcral.pyrc of
tradition; but they moved no muscle,
and when afterwards the reporter sug-
.estcd that this waS vio.ent innova-
tiOn a chief replied tha' IL did not mat
tcr-as long ~ The top fitted c'o'e aud
the door was shut the sacrifice would
not smell. The mcdiclrc-mnn circled
around the stove and the tribe listened
with bowed heads and orC rCaSional grun,S.
The priest sang four new verses n. this
time. The first one was Ia the effect
that spring was coming and the snow
would melt. the seeds would sprout,
babies would bc born. game would he
p'cntv. and the rcd man would prosper,
Il God so wil'cd. Tho next verse told
of the blessings of summer, the next
those of autumn. and the last those al
winter. lie sang that the sins Of tho
Nation be forgiven, and that the offer
ins he accepted in the spirit in which il
was rendered. When he ceased a war
rior in rcd worstcd comforter, a sack
coat and brown Jean trousers life | OF
the top OF the stove. and the dos and
the basket were lowered upon the b'az-
ing logs. the action being accompanied
by veil that sent t'ng'c a'ong the
under surface ~ every white scalp. That
ended the first DAYS ceremony.
The men aud women quilted thcii
seas and filed ont Of the doors. They
did not speak to one another. In
another moment the roads, the snow
upon the fields and the yards were
iillcd with rigid figures rs they made
their way To their houses. They had
MT performed the full ceremony. Ii
had been modified because Of the pres
cnce of strangers, and because oil the
wide rupture between this hcathcn half
of the Nation and the moicty Of Chris
tan.. The Christians are anxious Cor
new treaty with the state, and are bent
on exposing what they say is the truth
about the depravity Of their hcaihcn
brothers ary sisters. They have laid
great stress IN the liccn'iOuS and horri-
bic features of this ceremony Of Burn
ingttc White Do-. with which, they
saw. nothing Las lc'n found too dis
gu,ting to be incorporatcd.-Syrdc'tSc
" ~ Cor. " }. SUH.