Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-10
THE SIOUX sun lance.
Fossil ~ the Last Occurren .e--HorrltleT Tor
tures Inflicted Upon Themselves by the
DeyOfees.


great sun dance of the Sioux at Rose
bud agency. in Dakota. sends an affect
ing description of the tortures to the
Chicago Times The camp this year
lear the agency, he says, contained
10000 Indians, and male circle five
miles in circumference beautiful
sight. In front of the tent, where the
sun-dancers were awaiting their ordeal,
ay whitened buffalo skull on a
Ounch of wild sage. Inside the tepee
was the sacred medicine pipe on some
mysterious sticks.
A scouting party was sent out to
discover a suitable pole for tie center
II the dancing circle, and the next
lay the pole, tall elm tree, was cut
by an indian maiden consecratsd TO
this office, Her Pipe, niece of Standing
Bear. She is said to have cut thirteen
poles, and wi never marry. When it
had been trimmed and placed in posi-
ton, there came the "charge on the
pole," a thousand warriors on a thou
sand horses, down from the hill,
around the camp, reckless of limb,
pe.l-mell, themselv,s and Their hor es
licked with green branches, "Birnam
wood came to Duns name" What rush
Of color, what life, what vigorous
movement These were the men who
circled round Custer when he stood
alone. Many are in saddles that be-
longed to that command. With the
boughs they bring the pavilion is built
around the pole, and by the following
sunday evening the tall grass in the
arena has been tramped smooth with
much ceremony AM all is ready.
Just as the full moon peeped over
The eastern range of hills the dancers
to the sun, fifteen in a i, entered to
fulfill their VOW. On their heads were
wreaths of sweet grass or horns, over
heir chests depended representations
IF the sun, and from their wrists hung
totems. The singers common ed to
howl and beat their drum. The
dancers put TO their lips III goosebone
whistles, trimmed with the rare feather
Of the "medi ile bird" and began to
hop up and down. AS long as they
Ian ed they were to whist.e-and they
were to dan until the next shutdown.
Some women, to supplement the noisy
music of the drum, commenced to
"Hi.yi" in shrill k y and beat hide
spread on the ground.
There was not a light in the Enclosure.
The pole, fluttering with banners, stood
out in the moonlight. Near to its top
was bound a fascas of willow twigS,
which gave it resemblance to cross.
The figure of a bul1a o, cut from hide,
represented the sun, and above it dan
gled the figure of an Indian, black on
one side, white on the other--the bad
and the good spirit. All night the
dancing never tagged. While the
moon was up their faces were turned
and their arms outstretched to it, and
when CheeZes, the sun, came :" like a
warrior, robed and painted from his
shining lodge of silver" they turned to
it and prayed earnestly. They faced it
all day; if one shows signs of breaking
down he is taken to the shade for a
moment AMI given pull at a pipe or
bit of wild sage to encourage saliva
The Indians look on indifferenIly and
at hard egg and boiled dog, which tie
squaws have brought in dirty black
kettles; outside the little In,ian boys
ire playing tricks on each other.
About noon the med cine man COM
menced to paint the three dancers who
were to be tied to the pole. Follow-a-
Woman, the first to suffer, was thrown
on the ground, and the medicine man
skill ully made two incisions with a
sharp knife over each breast, in the
vicinity of the pectoral muscles The
flesh was lifted, and : a hardwood
skewer thrust under and fastened by
sinews to the rope which hung from
the pole. Already weakened by the
fifteen hours of exertion. of thirst, OF
hunger, he was to strain a. the rope
until he broke loose by tearing out his
own flesh. He was magn 4icently
brave, and it did not take long. In
five minutes he was d nc ng with the
others as if nothing had happened, and
the parasol then allowed him would
have made him ridiculous Lad not the
red blooI been seen coursing down his
body.
Ii es-in-the-Air was the next. He
tore out one stick in ten minutes, and
was then released from tearing out the
other by the gift of three ponies. Poor
Dog had a dogs luck. The cuts
seemed TO have been deeper on him.
He struggled and pulled, then gave the
rope slack and danced about the pole
! unit |, suddenly jerking back, the flesh
would stand out two or three inches
from the breast. The S uaws, who