Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-11
INDIAN SNOW DANCE
SCENE AT STANDING ROCK AGENCY,
FoRT YATES, D. T.


Stands at IS De-s- Cc:oU zerc-f'eS
Soup for Refreshmsnf.
had long been wanting TO see IN In
dian SNOW dance" when one Saturday.
after the usual bi-monthiy issue of rations,
it was rumored that there was TO be II
unusually large one about four miles from
the post. II was a clear, cold winter
night. with the mercury staining at
2S dee-s. below zero The members OF
our little party were soon snusly nesting
In the straw at the bottom Of govern
ment sleigh and We were travelling
toward the dance a. fast as four good
mules could draw Us.
The dance was held in low log house,
about forty feet long and eighteen ieet
wide We alighted at the door, around
which were gathered quite crowd OF un-
invited spectators. The door and windows
were open and the house, which was not
divided into rooms, was lighted b. two
kerosene lamps We entered during
li,ll in the festivities. In one end OF the
room. squatting on the ground close to
the wall, were thirty five or forty squaws,
dressed in their usual calico dresses and
woDlen shawls. Around the walls ut the
other end sat the male guests, each with
his blanket or sheet drawn over him. In
one corner Of the bucks end Of the room
was tomtOn, or Indian drum, around
which were seated just as many Old bucks
a. could crowd into the little circle. Near
the middle OF the room at the squaws'
end was another drum. equally well pro-
yided with musicians. Near these was q
small stove, in which a wrinkled old buck
was keeping up fire by feeding 1t with
twigs. We ranged ourselves along the
wall near the door. and, although our en-
trance was noticed by all, they gave no
indication Of it 10y look or word.
CADENCE OF THE ToMToMs.
Soon after our entrance the old fellows
around the tGmtoms began to beat them
with measured cadence, at the same time
accompanying the sound by grooming
weird song Suddenly one buck threw of
hi, sheet, and spriugins to his feet began
to dance. He was quickly followed by
the others, and in moment our brains
wee almost whirling at the grotesque
sight The dancing consisted OF series
of horrible contortions Of body and face,
accompanied by the most blood curdllng
shrieks and yells, the feet, meantime,
keeping accurately the cadence of the
drums. Imagine my surprise when l
noticed that notwithstanding the extreme
cold Of the night these men were almost
entirely naked. most Of them wearing no
clothing but wooden breechcloth and a
pair Of beaded moccasins. They were
painted in the INST striking manner from
head to foot Each had headdress or
bonnet of colo.ed buffalo hair, with
fringe of eagle feathers running down the
I.c tracplatS and apE letl md
strings OF be DIS also adorned many Of
them The description of the decorations
of one Of them will serve for all.
In addition to the adorE,nents above
mentioned he had Il double string Of
sleigh bells running from his ankle TO a
strap passed around the leg ut the knee.
At the small Of his back. and attached to
his grdIc, was an immense bunch of long,
cO,ored buffalo hair. His face was painted
saffron yellow, with Il large red spot on
either cheek and horizontal red lines run
ming across the forehead. His eyebrows
and the edges OF the lids We're painted
dazzling white. His body was red and
his arms and legs were n light blue, with
occasional bands of yellow Ia one hand
he brandished Il tomahawk, highly orna-
mcnted with colOred horse hair and por
cupine qullS. and his appearance was
truly hdcous as be twisted himself into
almost impossible positions and gave his
blood curdins yell After the dancing
had been going on for ten or fifteen min
utcs the tomJoms ceased and he retired
to his place by the wall and covered his
steaming body with cotton sheet. lie
hal probably walked II nile through lie
snow with the thcrmemctcr % dc4s.
below zero, with only that cotton sheet to
protect him from the cold. have seca
squaws walking through the snow in bare
feet and carrying their noccasins and
stockings in their hands. Each dance
was terminated by the old dime novel
war whoop which the small boy initiate
by yelling. ami at the same time vibrai-
ns his hand before his mouth.
THE sQCAws TAKE PART.
Once IN every hour the squaws are al
lowed t, take part in the dancing while
the buck, rest They join hands and
form II circle about their tOmtom, and
their dancing consists of series of side
bitches To the left, accompanied by sing
ing. They slowly travel around the circle.
Should any buck come near enough to the
circle, tie sQuaw nearest seiIes his hand,
and ho is compelled to join the squaw
dance and make his captor present at its
close.
At intervals during the dance we had
noticed two sqUaws enter, carrying be-
tween them an ircn pot slung on POLE.
The pot was depus ted near the stove, and
the squaws dis Fpeared only to repeated
ly return with other similar burdens.
The contents Of the pots we discovered
constituted the refreshments. had the
curiosity to look into ore of the pots. and
was Mortified 80 iind it Glled with Il muddy
liquid ont Of which WA lroTuding the
crinnng Etai of n good sized dog. 1t had
been killed hy blow on the head aud
thrown a. il was into the pot to boil.
Each guest lrings with him to the dance
tin cup with which he helps himself to
the soup at the proper time.
At these dances the Indians even now
work themselves into perfect frenzy, and
it has always been n custom with them to
engage in dance before going to war or
on the eve Of II battle. For this reason
they are allowed TO dance only on certain
stated occasions
spoke above of the ornGU ents Of eagle
feathers ra"-e are the h; white. half
black feather, from the eagle wings. and
are greatly priced by he Indians. who
consider them good me,.iciuC.' But il
order to lie acceptable to the Indian. the
feathers must have been taken from an
eagle whose blood has not been spilled In
order to Il. smplish this, the Indian goes
to place near some eagles nest and digs
a cylindrical hole in the ground just large
enough to hold him in standing posi-
ton. He carefully removes all the earth
taken out, and then, placing the bodies of
a few rabbits and birds around the open
ing. he gets into the hole, pulling over
him the grass around the edges in order
to hide himself as much rs possible He
will remain there sometimes for days at a
time, until an eagle swoops down for the
bait. Then dusky hand is thrust out Of
the hole and clutches the birds leg, and
another one is soon choking him to death.
Cor New York Sun.