St. Paul daily globe., 1885-03-13
PlUTE COURTSHIP.
How Maidens are Wooed and. Won
Among The Indians.
Driving Persistent Suitor from the Tent Of
His Beloved.
From tn San Francisco Call.

In many social matters the American In
dian had system of etiquet as formal and
severe as the aristocratic residents of Murray
hill or Beacon street. 1t was singular and
in some respects contradictory feature OF
the life of the aborigines that, with all their
liberty and freedom to roam the vast wilder
ness Of boundless country. they voluntarily
adopted many domestic regulations, more
rigid than any in vogue among the Purltans
who landed on Plymouth Rock. Austerity is
not usually ascribed as one of the traits OF
the American Indian, and yet in that most
interesting period of life, when young peo-
pie court and marry, they enforced the
severest and most stoical restraints. The
knotted lash which the monk frequently had
laid upon his bare back and limbs to give his
thoughts a more heavenly bent was no greater
indulgence in asceticism than the forced sup
preston of young girls feelings which the
Indians required. In matters relating to
courtship 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 nation shows the strictness OF that
The old chiefs daughter gave the following
account of a Piute courtship to Call reporter
q few days ago:
"When a girl reaches woman hood ana ner
family desire to indicate to the tribe that
their daughter has reached the marriageaD!e
period she makes her debut, as you say in
English, but the Piute girl comes out in an
entirely different way than that adopted by
her white sister. Just efore 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 domestic
duties and explains to her the nature and
importance of the wifely relation, The girl
then goes with two older female relatives to
q teepee, which is a small wigwam, where
she remains with them twenty five days.
During this time she performs work which is
supposed to be strengthening.
ITCoSsIsTs 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 rela-
tiOns take her to the river to bathe, 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 female attendants is quite
extensive, and is regarded by them as valu-
able present. When the young girl has spent
twenty-five days in the teepee she has made
her debut into the society Of her tribe, and
and that is onsdered as q public announce
mcnt that she is ready to marry.
'Of course. pretty, shapey girl is in
great demand, just as belle is in your So
ciety. girl with a handsome face and fine
black eyes, and flowing hair as black and
glossy as a ravens wing and wiowy,
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 great beauty is in a London draw
ing-room. But oh, how different the two
kinds of courtship are! We have no parties
IN the wigwams to which young folks 90 and
get acquainted and court. The Young men
and girls have no theater TO attend, and no
long walks home after the play is over. They
never 20 riding together, nor strolling through
the woods along the river bank. They never
idle together in the canoe on the water, pluck
ing lilies and flowers. Although they seem
to enjoy much greater liberty to roam and
wander, whithersoever their fancy may lead
them, yet they are kept as close as prisoners,
Piuth 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 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 u girl
very soon knows when young man is in
tercstcd in her lie tries TO catch her atten-
tion by his horsemanship, or his skill with
the bow, or bis athletic accomplishments. He
rides by her at furious speed and returns
again and again. In this way he attracts her
attention aud informs her, although he does
not speak a word, that he loves her and would
like to marry her But this does not COM
prise all Of his eourtship. 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 to the
lodge occupied by the girl he loves. He en-
tiers silently and sits down beside her couch.
A lodge Is circular in shape, and at night
when the inmates 90 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
fire and their heads towards 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 tirelight where the young girl is sleep
ing and he goes directly 10 her side, often
stepping over other sleepers, and sits down
by her bed. 1t is customary for the Young
girl TO sleep near her grandmother, who is
10 iffrbf ftar bn II hos
made her debut. As soon as she sees the
young man enter she wakens the girl, who
rises and goes to where her mother is sleeping
and lies down beside her AS soon as she
does tits the Young man rises and goes out
as silently as he came in.
Not a word is spoken. He does not touch
the girl, while he IS sitting by her side rs she
sleeps. Her grandmother does not speak n
word OF encouragement TO him. neither does
her mother indicate that he is Il welcome sui
tor The next night he comes again and takes
up his position beside the girl, aud keeps this
up for a long time. During all the time be
is courting In this way he is treated as an
absolute stranger by the girls relations. They
may have entertained him before he begun
his attention to the girl; her brothers may
have hunted with him and shared the game
with him, but
WHEN HE ONCE BEGINS To WOO TIE GIRL
all familiarity aud friendship ceases. He is
never invited 70 eat Of food prepared by the
family Of the girl, aud her brothers never
offer him anything on the hunt His pres
enc. Is wholly Ignored II the girl does not
like him she tells her grandmother, aud when
the young man comes again at night, that
good lady rises from her bed. takes a handful
OF hot ashes from the 6re aud throws them in
his face. That's the mitteu. II he persists
IN his attentions aud continues 10 come
again and again. the whole family unite in
hcaping iudgnities upon him, but the girl is