The Opelousas courier., 1885-09-12
AN INDIAN FIRE DANCE.
A Startling Ceremony Seen in
the Far Southwest.
Picturesque Acts Of ~Legerdemain Among
the Navajo Redskins.

John B. Sweet, who has recently
been travelling in New Mexico ant
Arizona, gave an interesting and
graphic sketch to a Denver Tribune re
porter of the "HashkaWn Dance
which he had witnessed at one of the
Navajo agencies. 1t took place in
large corral, o Enclosure Of an irregu'
larly circular form, about forty PAGES
in diameter. Its fence, about eight
feet high, was constructed of fresh
juniper and pinon boughs. In the
center was a conical pile of dry wood,
about twelve feet high, which was to
make the great central fire. Around
this, a few feet from the fence, a dozen
smaller fires were burning for tfEe com
fort and convenience Of the spectators,
who numbered about 500 men, women
and children, gathered here from va
rlous parts of the Nevajo country
The fire dance was the most picturesque
and startling of all. Some time before
the dancers entered, l heard strange
sounds, mingled with the blowing of
the buffalo horn. The sounds were
much like the,call Of the sandhill crane,
and may, perhaps. be properly called
"'trumpeting,' and they were made by
the dancers constantly during the OK
ercises. The noises continued to grow
louder and come nearer, until we heard
them at thetopening in the east, and in
a moment after men having no more
clothing onsthan breechclout entered.
Every man bore a long, thick bundle
of shredded. cedar bark in each hand,
except the Header who carried four
smaller fagdts of the same material.
-Four times they all danced round the
fire, waving their bundles of bark
toward the dame; then they halted in
theteast; the leader advanced toward
the central fire, lit one of bis little
fagots, and, trumpeting loudly, threw
it overfthe fence offs the corral in the
east. He performed a similar acc at
the south, the west, Fand the north, but
before the northern brand was thrown
he lit with it the fagots of his COM
rades. rs each brand disappeared
over the fence. some of the spectators
blew into their hands and made a mo-
ton as if tossing.somelsubstance after
the departing fame. When the fagots
were all lit, the whole band began a
wild race aroundlthe fire. At first they
kept close together and spat upon one
another sonnet substance of supposed
medical vifCue. Soon they scattered
and ran, apparently without concert,
the rapid racing causing the brands to
throw out long brilliant streamers of
flame over the naked hands and arms
OF the dancers. They then proceeded
to apply the brands to their own nude
bodies, and the bodies of their COM
rades in front of them-no:man ever
once turning around. Atytimes the
dancer struck the victim vigorous
with his flaming wand; again he
seized the fame as if it were a sponge.
and. creeping close TO the one pursued,
rubbed the back of the latter for sew |
,ral moments as if he weresbathing
him. In the mean time, the sufferer
would catch up with some one,in front
HING and, in turn, battle him in
lame. AT times when a dancer found
one}1n front Of him he proceeded to
sponge" his own back, and might'keep
.hisf up while making two or three
around the fire, or until
overlook some n else. AT each
application of the blaze the loud trum-
was heard, and it often seemed |
Is if a flock of a hundred cranes
winging their way overhead,
through the darkness. If
brand became extinguished, its was
it again in the central fire; buttwhen
t was SO far consumed as to sbe no
onger held conveniently in the Inland,
he dancer dropped it and rushedhrum-
out of the corral. Thustone by
me they all departed, and the specta-
ors stepped into the arena. picked up
he ~fascicles of the fallen fragments of
lark, lit them and batheds their hands
n the flames as a charm against the
vii effects of fire."
"Were they not blistered ?"'asked the
eporter.
''They were not hurt in the least"
vas the answer. Il believe they were
protected by a coating of earth or clay
,aint. That, however, did not make
he effect any less strange. / have be-
leld many fire scenes ON the stage.
many acts of ~fire-eating and fire-hand-
by civilized jugglers, and many
ire dances by other Indianttribes, but
quite comparable to this.
me scenic accessories were, unique.
seourging lost soulstwith the
ternal fire could scarcely be pictured