Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-23
INDIAN COURTSHIP.
How the DusI<y Maidens Are WOoed and
Won Among the Piutes.

In many social matters the American
Indian had a system of etiquette as
formal and severe as the aristocratic
residents of Murray Hill or Beacon
street. In matters relating to court
ship and marriage the higher tribes of
the aborigines were singularly severe
and formal. The narration by Sarah
Winnemucca of how Indian maidens
were wOoed and won in the Piute ma
ton shows the strictness of that peo-
pie in regard to the mingling of the
sexes The old Chiefs daughter gave
the following account of a Piute court
ship to a Call reporter a few days
ago:
'When girl reaches womanhood
and her family desire to indicate to the
tribe that their daughter has reached
the marriagable period, she makes her
debut, as you say in English, but the
Piute girl comes out in an entirely diff
ferent way than that adopted by her
white sister. just before she reaches
wOmanhOod her grandmother has es-
pecial charge of her. To that old lady,
whose years are supposed to have
brought wisdom, the girl is given. She
schools her in domestic duties and ex-
plains to her the nature and import
ance of the wifely relation. The girl
then goes with two other female rela-
tives to teepee, which is a small wig
wan, where she remains with them
twenty-five days. During this time
she performs work which is supposed
to be strengthening. 1t consists chief
ly of piling wood Three times a day,
at morning. noon and night, she stacks
five piles of wood, making fifteen each
day. Every five days her relations take
her to the river TO battle, and at the
end of the time she gives her clothing
TO her attendants and returns to the
family lodge. Very frequently the
wardrobe which she presents her fe-
male attendants is quite extensive, and
is regarded by them as valuable pres
ent. When the young girl has spent
twenty-five days in the teepee, she has
made her debut into the society OF her
tribe, and that is considered as a pub
lie announcement that she is ready to
marry.
''Of course, a pretty, shapely girl is
IN great demand, just as belle is in
ysur society. A girl with handsome
face and fine black eyes and flowing
hair as black and glossy as a ravens
wing, and a willowy, graceful form, is
the object of great deal of attention
from the young men of the tribe, and
often of the older men, too. A lovely
Indian girl is as much sought after in
her circle as a great beauty is in a Lon
don drawing-room. But, oh, how diff
ferent the two kinds of courtship are!
We have no parties in the wigwams to
which young folks go and get acquaint-
ed and court. The young men and
girls have no theatre to attend, and no
long walks home after the play is over.
They never go riding together, nor
strolling through the woods along the
river bank. They never idle together
in the canoe on the water, plucking
lilies and flowers. Although they seem
10 enjoy much greater liberty to roam
and wander whithersoeyer their fancy
may lead them, yet they are kept as
close as prisoners. Piute courtship
lacks freedom, and yet it is not devoid
of that intense excitement that attends
love-making the world over.
You may suppose that the girls and
young men would steal out of their
lodges of moonlight nights, and have
clandestine meetings and WOO in that
way, but they never dare to do it. In
deed, they never speak together. A
word never passes between them. But
still girl very soon l-nows when
young man is interested in her. He
tries to catch her attention by his horse
manship, or his skill with the bow, or
his athletic accomplishments. He rides
by her at a furious speed and returns
again and again. In this way he at
tracts her attention and informs her,
although he does not speak word, that
he loves her and would like to marry
her. But this does not comprise all of
his courtship. At night, when the In
dians have retired to their wigwams
and are sleeping, the young man rises