Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-19
Grizzly Bears Catching Salmon and Mos.
quitocs That Really Bite-0ueer
e.. Habits of the Natives-Beavcrs
Damming Streams.


81 haven't been in Alaska since
1876" said a former Government m
ploye who was stationed in that coun-
try for several years, ''but from all |
can hear the occupation of the land by
increasing numbers of white people has
not had the effect of changing the GUS
toms of the country, in some portions
of it at least, to any great extent. The
Indians still believe in evil spirits that
inhabit the water, hold their slaves Sc
cretly, practice polygamy, and retain
all their social and religious forms and
ceremonies. They have their sorcer-
ers, repudiate all relationship on the
fathers side, and live generally as they
did under the rule Of the Russian.
in Alaskan waters which have strong
and sometimes fatal toxic qualities if
eaten, which they frequently are. Sick
ness always follows such Indulgence,
and it was no uncommon thing, when
l lived in Alaska, to see an entire ko-
losk village suffering from its effects.
1t is this tradition upon which the be-
lief in evil spirits who live in the water
and spread sickness and disease among
the people is founded. They profess
to hold communication with these
spirits through their sorcerers, but they
offer them no sacrifices, and use no
means to propitiate them.
Marriage among these Indians is a
peculiar institution: in fact, there is no
marriage-simply the taking of wives.
When a young Indian wants u wife he
goes to his mother and tells her so. If
she gives her consent he goes to where
the lady of his heart is cooped up in
her fathers house, taking his next best
friend with him. Through the latter
he sends word to his inamorata that he
is near and would we'd. If she has a
leaning toward her sutton she returns
word to him by the friend that she is
inclined to join her interests with his.
He then takes presents to her and her
parents, and having delivered them
enters at onceinto the possession of his
bride. There are Il 10 further ceremon-
les, except that q day later the couple
must visit her relatives, and it she then
has no complaint to make to them
about her husband, they are given
presents and the wedding is over. This
may be repeated indefinitely, until an
Indian may become as well-to-do in
wives as a Mormon elder. Polygamy
was practiccd even by the so-called
Christian tribes when l lived in the
Territory, and Their evolution must
have been rapid, from what / remem-
Der of them, if they have abandoned
the practice.
'.Dricd salmon is the luxury of the
Alaskan Indians, and the children be-
gin to nibble it before they think of
walking. The way they bring up chill
dren u there would hardly suit in this
region. The mother carries her child
about from the time it is born until it
is able to creep, no matter where she
goes. Until that time she keeps it
wrapped in a sortroffur sack. Ihemo-
ment the young II shows a DISPOSE
ton to crawl she yanks the fur off it,
and her begins the building up OF its
constitution. This is done by giving it a
sousc in the sea or river every morn
ing, and the chorus of yells that greets
every village during this interesting
ceremony is something terrific. The
cries of the young ones arc piteous, and
for fear that their maternal breasts
might not be proof against these APP
peais for mercy, and thus fail to do
their duty by their offspring, the moth
ers do not perform this bathing rite
themselves, but delegate some brother
OF sister to do the dousing. These
conscientious aunts and unclcs vary
the switch with the bath, in vain at
tcmDts to make the II overaWe the
noisy results If thp other.
''There is oncthing that is noticeable
among these half-civilized tribes, and
is creditable withal. Their old and
disabled members are carefully attend
ed to, and orphans become q common
charge, and fare the same as the most
favored children with living parents.
These Indians are original cremation
lists. Their dead are burned as soon
as death ensucs: their ashes are in
tered on the spot and a rude monu-
ment erected over them. They have
crude IDEAS of Immortality, believing
that a man has q spirit that lives for
ever, but they know nothing Of future
rewards or punishmcnts. Their heaven
is a place where the spirits of the chiefs
~congregate in one place. the common
people 10y themselves, and slaves, if
there arc any, have still another dwell
ing place. unless !. chiefs slave should
die with him, and then his spirit will
be in eternal attendance on his master.
1t was formerly the universal custom