The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-19
INDIAN COURTSHiP.
How the DusIEy Maidens Are wooed and
Won Among the Piutes.

In many social matters the American
Indian had q system of etiquette as
formal and severe as the aristocratic
residents of Murray Hill or Beacon
Street. Il was a singular, and. in some
respects, contradictory feature of the
life OF the aborigiles that, with all their
liberty and freedom to roam the vast
wilderness of boundless country, they
voluntarily adopted many domestic reg
ulaticns, more rigid than any in vogue
among the PuT;tans who landed on
Plymouth Rock. Austerity is not usu-
ally ascribed as one Of the trains of the
American Indian. and vet in that most
interesting period of life, when young
people court and marry, they enforced
thc severest aud most stcical restraints
The knOtted lash which the monk fire.
quently had laid upon his bare back and
limbs to give his thoughts a more hear-
enlv bent, WIS no greater indulgenceln
asceticism than TIN: forced suppression
of young girls feelings which the In
diaus required. IN matters relating to
courtship and marriage the higher tribes
of the aborigiGes were singulaTly severe
and forusal. The narration by Sarah
Winnemgcca OF how Indian n1aideEs
were weed and won in the Pluto nation
shows the 'strictness Of that people in
regard TO the mingling of the sexes.
The old chiefs daughter gave the fol
lowing ACCOUNT of Piute courtship to a
CAL reporter few days ago.
g.ITl ryi7.l roo bac nj nn1 onH
her family desire to indicate &c the tribe
that their daughter has reached the mar
riageable period, she makes her debut,
as YOU say IL English, but the Piute girl
comes out in an entirely different way
than thatsadopted by her white sister.
| just before she reaches womanhood her
grandmother has especial charge of
| her, To. that old lady, whose years are
supposed TO have brought wisdom, the
| girl is given. She schools her in do
mcstic duties and explains to her the
nature and importance of the wifely re-
lstion. The girl then goes with two
| older female relatives to a teepee, which
Is small wigwam, where she remains
with them twenty-five DAYS. During
this time she performs work which is
supposed to be strengthening. 1t con-
sistS chiefly of piling wood. Three times
day. at morning, noon and night, she
stacks five piles of wood, making fifteen
each day. Every five days her relations
takesher to the river TO battle, and at
the end of the time she gives her cloth
| ing 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 available 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 public
announcement that she is ready to
marry.
"Df course, pretty, shapely girl is
IN great demand, just as a belle is in
your society. A girl with handsome
face and fine black eyes and flowing
hair as black and glossy as a ravens
wing. and willowy, graceful form, is
the object of a great deal of attention
frG1s 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 great beauty is in Lon
don drawing-room But, on, how diff
fere Mt the two kinds of courtship arei
We have no parties in the wigwams to
which young folks 90 and get ac-
qEainted and court. The young men
and girls have no theatre to attend, and
no long walks home after the play is
over. They never 90 riding together,
nor strolling through the woods along
the river bank. They never idle to-
gether in the canoe on the water, pluck
ing lilies and flowers. Although they
seem to enjoy much greater liberty 10
roam and wander whitherscever their
fancy may lead them, yet they are
kept as close as prisoners. Piute court
ship lacks freedom, and yet it is not de-
void of that intense excitement that at
tends loVe-making the world over.
You may suppose that the girls and
ySung 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
woFd never passes between them. But
still "a girl very soon knows when a
young man is interested in her. He
trieste catch her attention by his horse
m&nship, 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
attracts 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
Indians have retired to their wigwams
and are sleeping, the young man rises
from his bed of leaves and skins and
goes 10 the lodge occupied by the girl
he loves. He enters silently and sits
down beside her couch. A lodge is cir
cular in shape, and at night. when the
inmates go TO bed, they heap brush
wood and logs on the fire in the center
of the tent and then lie down with their |
feet toward the fire and their heads |
toward the outside, or circumference of |
the wigwam. The Indians sleep on |
leaves and robes, and are covered when |
sleeping with skins. As the young man |
enters the lodge he can see By the fire
light where the young girl is sleeping,
and he goes directly to her side. often |
stepping over other sleepers, and sits
down by her bed. 1t is customary for
the young girl to sleep near her grand
mother, who is expected to rest lightly
after the girl has made her debut. As
soon as she sees the young man enter
she awakens the girl. who rises and
goes to where Eer mother is sleeping
and lies down beside her. As soon as
she does this the young man rises and
,-OaS ont ne silently &c he cama in
Not word is spoken. He does not