The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-01-24
The Green Corn Dance Long Ago.

Fifty years ago the Green Corn Fes-
tival was a flourishing annual pastime
among the Creeks, Wyandottes and
other tribes. 1t had q religious signifi-
canoe, of course. and was regarded in
the light of 8 New Years celebration.
There was no fixed date for it, but ev-
cry summer, just as the green corn was
ripening, the chiefs sent out an order
for the making of new pottery, and a
second order naming the day for the
opening of the festivities. Runners
ladened with bundles of small sticks car
ried them to all parts of the tribes.
Each bundle had as many sticks as there
were days intervening between its re-
ception and the beginningof the festival.
AS the days passed the sticks were
thrown aside until the last was reached,
when preparations were made for the
departure to the festival grounds.
These were selected remote from any
habitation, and near the bank of a
stream, Four log houses were con-
structed in such manner THAT they in
closed large square, entrance to which
was had through wide spaces between
the houses. Each house opened on this
lie
The Enclosure was sacred, and the print
of no foot touched it until the COM
mencement 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 minstrels were
wont to say. Previous to this there had
been fasting, and from now on until the
close of the festival the men and women
live apart.
When the square was ready all the
fires in the surrounding towns were ex-
| tinguished, and the houses. swept and
washed. Enmities were forgotten and
crimes overlooked-the criminal who
succeeded in sneaking unobserved into
the crowd at the square being at once
granted full absolution for his offense.
! The first ceremony of the festival was
lighting the sacred fire. A square board
with q circular hollow was produced,
and the ashes of the forest tree or OF
dry leaves were placed in the hollow.
The chiefs then took turns at whirling
sticks until flame was produced. From
! this fame bits of wood were lighted to
convey fire to their homes. Wood was
then heaped up on the original fire in
the square, new pot was brought, and
what was calledthe black drink brewed.
Two lines of warriors danced up to and
back from the boiling pot, uttering q
chant, and winding up the dirge with q
war whoop. Then two chiefs took
gourds and drank some of the inky
breN The warriors drank afterwards
and almost SIS suddenly elected the
draught spewing all over the new
earth. Another dance followed, which
was interrupted suddenly by wild shouts,
as the warriors pursued one of thei1
number who had dropped bat OF
ribbon or something into the river,
striking at him when they could and
only ceasing their effots at violence
when he plunged into the water. Re
turning to the square the dance was re-
newed. Then during the day there was
ball play, and the bear dance, the
panther dance and the buffalo dance
in each of which the Indians covered
themselves with the skins of the
animals in whose honor they were
dancing. The days celebration CLOSED
with q trial of fortitude, to which
J children of from four to twelve year.
were submitted. The children were
carried into the square, and the breasts
and limbs lacerated with sail needles
avis and fints. These things were dus
into the quivoring flesh of theyoung
and long gashes cut; If the child fiinchcd
the warrior chief cut all the deeper
Mary of the young, however, scooped W
the blood from their wounds with stick
and spattered the buildings with it
More grooming and dancing closed Thu
ceremony and wound up the first day
programme.
On the second day the drinking ant
dancing incidents of the first day wer
repeated, and ears of green corn were
brought in and presented to the princi
pal chief, who took them, and, after al
invocation to Gitche Manitou, tn
mighty, that the corn of the following
year be plentiful, handed them back
War dances ensue, after which the mel
retire, and the women, led by two oil
warriors, who did clown acts, dancet
and sung to the accompaniment of raft
ling gourds. AT given signal tn
war whoop was given, and the womel
rushed out of the square and swarmet
upon mound near by. At four points
near the base of the mound, were a
many stuffed figures. The warrior
crouched in the surrounding corn field
and stole forward, making final rus
to the mound, and, amid shouts an,
shots, carrying off the stuffed figures
One figure was stolen away, or mad
prisoner; the SECOND was grasped b
the waist, flung in the air, and rippe
up the back with knife, and the thir
was tomahawked; the fourth, shot. b
this method were indicated the fou
different styles of warfare with whic
the Indian was familiar. A dane
around the mound was followed b
more dancing in the square, and the
permission was given to tackle the gree
corn, whereupon all proceeded to ea
their fill.
On the third day the females dane
again, and repeat the dance with tn
clown old men trying to make theI
laugh. Then comes feast, and afte
it the concluding incident of the fest
val. the dance Of the old time, wher(
upon the men and women commingl
for the first time, and stamp, sing an
shout until they are tired out.
Altogether. iudUin0 bV the desrriT