The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-10-18
THE CROW INDIAN.
Habits Of a Copper-Colored Resi-
dent of Western Plains.

dent of Western Plains.
He Is Crafty and Brave, and Is
Utilized as Scout.
In personal appearance the Crow
Indian mon are fine looking, tall and
we'll formed. The women are small and
inferior in appearance. Their vocal
language is coarse and harsh, and does
not seem to have rich vocabulary.
They are poor in tradition. The men
cut the hair squaroly off round the fore
head, leaving this bang from four to six
inches in length, which, when in full
dress, is made to stand upright by
dressing it with clay, which is some
times made more adhesive by admixtu'e
with q sticky substance obtained by
boiling gummy weeds and bushes.
The side hair is at times lraided and
the hair on the back of the head scpa-
rated into several 'strips," which are
held in place by glue placed at regular
intervals. To give them the appear
ance of very long hair, of which they are
extremely proud, that which has been
cut off in mourning, or that taken from
their ponies tails aud names, is glued
on to lengthsn out. They do not pull
out eyebrows or lashes. In dress, the
men wear the hooded coat made OF
blanket. At the shoulder, wrist of the
coat and down the leggings coarse
fringe is fastened. The women wear
short skirts made of raw material, and
care little for colored ribbons or
trinkets.
The Crows have an excellent reputa.
ton among other tribes for their cum
ming, crafty skill and bravery in war.
With the whites, as rule, they have
been friendly, and since 1875 have ron
dered valuable services to the govern
ment as enlisted scouts. At present
they are better armed and better mount
ed than any other tribo Of Indians.
Tho Crows have a sun dance of their
own as it differs essentially from that oi
the Sioux and other tribes. The dance
origin atcs in spirit of revenge, and
through it they seek to sccur, tho assis
tance of the Supreme Being in carrying
out their plans for vengeance, and ir
prosecuting their wars and horse steal
ing expeditions.
Besides the strings by which th'
dancer is fastened through the sinew
Of the chest aud back to a long pole
the brave endeavors to produce goot
luck by mutilating himself with knive
in many parts OF tho body. Some o
the young men fasten buffalo heads t
the muscles OF the back and dance them
selves FREQ and through and abou
camp.
h Their legends say that God mad
5 them first of all human beings. tn
g other Indians next, and the white ma
o at the last as punishment for som
$ offenses.
How much bodily pain ono of thes
Crow warriors can undergo / witnesse
in 1880, near this post. 1t was in th
X fall of that year when tho Hon. Ca
!. Schurz Uhe then secretary OF the inte
/. ior) visited the captured Sioux an
ia Chcycnnes near Fort Keogh. The hol
i. orable gentleman desired to observe II
natives at one of their dan ces and feast
# and General Miles, our commandir
"a officer, conducted him to the neighbo
N ing encampment. The writer accor
tv panied the party which went on hors
IN back. As we ncared tho spot we b
q. held several hundreds of Indians squa
at ted down on the grass, singing, shou
= ing and drumming. They were n
Il. dancing just then, but were enjoying 6
II star performance by solitary warrit
:. Crow IndiaE-somcthing Of an G
to cruciatingly humorous character,
il, highly seasoned and palatable side di
be in the feast, so to speak.
n. The stalwart Crow stood in tho &C
va ire Of the circle; the blood was strcal
IN. ing from a hundred gashcs which
was sclf-iuhicting upon chest, sho
ders, abdomen, arms and legs W
sharp edged knives, handed to him
Ir- ternately by some of tho Sioux a
s Cheyenne lrav.s.
70. Tho sight was too much for the son
tty what sensitive organization OF tho t
ner tidious Secretary, and. giving his ho
IS the spurs, ho soon escaped from
out disgusting spectacle. Tho attendi
OF Indians enjoyed tho performance hu
DR.. ly, for they were chatting away
ays laughing gayly while the horrible
tire certainly very painful mutilation
900 roinr on. The interpre
Ier- informed me that it was
en- atoncment ceremony on the part of
Job, Crow, who had in the proceeding "
Tho ter killed Sioux. From the So
nty source learned aiterward that tho v
the height of the festivity was reached
$ it the audience when the performer FL
in ly permitted his body to be washed "
ical vinegar, after which he INDUCED in
and convulsions. 81 Cincinnati Enqui