The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-10-20
A PUEBLO Sun DANCE.
CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF A
SAINT IN NEW MEXICO,
An Interesting Event at the Pueblo Of
san Hurna Ventura de Cochiti-A Gu.
ri"nS Dance of Mystic Meaning s--rhc
Movements.


Movements.
Two 'nnl,rd mounted PuebloS. aligned as
l''i':t"';lv rs crack cavalry regiment on
| i..iT'''r, formed three sides If /; hollow
>!'li'" The fourth side was tn. high wall
"E '''"ll church yard, now buried under Il
Dirt of "x.mctant humanity. Purblos from
S';n Domingo. San Felipe, lslcta, San
'':'. Namhr, rcsuqur. Poioauuc. and even
d:>'::'' Aronaa; Navaj"n> from the western
c'l'l "l III" territory, four "Anericans and
fn";' ~ fifty nriyhhorins MrNicans wcr,
a:''I 'IiH crowd. Close hy tho cross over
@"ic was the long, faded robe and the
L. ''ili ii.i. classic face "f the priest from
l,';! E.aucn. whose ,lrliratclv chis.rd
''.;.ir features looked ;,nachroniSiic enough
a"!"i':, those swarthy rroSclytcs. He had
he'd mass n tine old church that morning,
aud nuw the first dan, of the day was to he
ri fai!r del PADRE in his honor.
VI" had not long 10 wait. Directly the
lsni' pun, pun. of IL huge yellow tomton,
b!:, IL, y mature beer barrel, came around the
corner of the church, presently followed lay
the t"m:"m itself and its athletic persccu'"r.
Ar"uni the drummer clustered the chorus
Il ',''lc!i men in snowy shirts and with snowy
drawers descending into tho embrace 1t
beautiful brown blirkSkin c;llZoncS, which
also covered the tops of their moccasins.
They WEI" chanting loudly a weir'l refrain
in The Jucrcz tongue. keeping perfect time
w,lh lcc. and arms. They were closely
followed 10y the dancers--a stran5" and
ar"t.s'Iue half hundred, truly. a, their
bead marched the bearer of the holy Flag ni
ia sun. lie was Il stalwart aboriginal g,n
':cnan, clothed upon with all the pomp and
circumstance of Il st Louis drum mn. ."r. hut
"';ltn'l' tie ralnrod which is popularity sup
pos Il IL s;ilrn the spinr uf that awful dig
ni';tlN. The banner was II priceless hit oi
work in headed burkskin; bearing, Will. its
!',', the general shape "t Il gigantic feather,
and iriu:srl and tuttcd ut sides and top with
raglr feathers. The dancers were equally
dvi'ir,l rs I" scx, and an attractive sci in
i,'r and form. The women Wore their usual
W." est dress to the lilrrS l.ut had omitted
'"''ir everyday lurkskin boots and m!ocr;l-
NJ. and their sllarclv Sims and arms w,rr
bare Their beautiful black hair, carefully
r"ii!h.ri. lnlnS down heir backs, ,unrrslrailrrl
hN ri!,l,"n "r ornament. Around their nerIs
i'"y Wore II dazzling lrotusion OF necklaces,
r'ttlN r"ralS silver hr;,ls alternating with
SILVER crosses and long strings of pricce-,
tlrqu":s-;heir proximity To the only lur-
Gn"is mine i'll the Western hemisphere stands
them in good stead We're a dozen strands
deepen those pretty brown nrcks Their
heavy jet bangs--lhr Aztccs wcrc bauping
Their hair before Cortrz sailed from Spain
waved lis they came hopping along on alter
nate lpct. Each had n bright vrrmilipn
patch on either cheek bone, and each held in
either hand Il sl,riE of sacred cedar. ;ut
the most remarkable" feature of the female
ItpIf I,,l I.t III m,
The. middle of her crown, each woman worc
! Il board, fitted tn her head, and rising crl-
teen inches above 1t. Th" board wa, bright
Milhan ornamental top and IL capital I sawed
"a of the middle. The projcc iol,, ut the
top "l tho board were prrttilv tuftcd.
/ The men were more Iirtir,squcly nrr;vcl
4 Zach wa, naked To the waist, and painted
over the trunk and arms with duh llli"
.Nruiml the waist and falling nearly TO the
knee, va, an elaborate dancing skirt woven
"l inu'isr ,"lorcl stuff. handsomely ,lcckol
will hr;ul work, and with II fine macrcmo
/ sash pc:idrnt the right sid" T" this Skirt
( behind, WAS attached n beautiful fox skin.
with its long brush dangling, nearly tn the
1 ground The nio"casius and lepyir, COM
prt"'l the dress, but there We're flirl her ;,r.
n,.ss"rics Each man had fastened Ia the top
! Of his head little bunch ul feathers nr :,
( .'prig of cedar: carll had around his Iirc,,s n
/ l',lil-i!irll arml"t Of hu"kakin painted green
and wil,r, aud several skcins Of bright yarn
4 and Strings 'f sleigh bells were tied around
tiI'. raH"n"o just below the Knee. None of
4 them were farally painted, none had til"
customary h"a'lk"rhrf or queue, nor the
every day white cotton drawers Each held
in his left hand Il branch Of cvrrgrcrl and
in Ills right Il r1lti", made of dry gnlrl,
/ with Il wooden handle. Over their bar"
chests ratified ieils only less proligal than
! ili">" worn bv the women The men were
all yon;s youll:,sh and, Il, 81 rule. very
,,'rsl l'phin:, fellows. Al the rear the pro-
rcsson tarrrcd down 4" half Il dozen boss
alri girl. the smallest not over :. vrr, old.
Iul dressed Just like their elders, and equally
expert in the intrlcaccs of the curious
dance.
When the fifty dancers were all ins III"
square, in long row hy rairs-iirst ,.,n
women and then t"u IN, li--thcy ceased their
advance. which had been m.d.at u i,ailiu.e
/ pace ." hall /, mile per hour, hut untii!rl
/ tu 'inark time, us an army man would snv,
tn, Ia" un!altorirg bump of the yellow drum
and the long wimd"d sing son. Of the chrll
| Tn" step. whether advancing, rttlralug or
I sl din, stll, is the slnca simple variation
/ Of the universal hop jump remembered bv
! every one who has ever seen nu aboriginal
dance anywhere. Starting ON tiI,t"c, The
/ t.al.ccr raised his right foot guicl.lv lo :,
height Of from 1lrc. to SIX inches n!lp.- III"
ground, AT the same timc-Or perhaps ;li
instant later s,lvns tiny hop, which lifted
TIL" II foot high enough to put II toothpr:
bctwcrn it and til. ground This hitch i,
almost ilnpcrccptible i'll itself. lut it is neyor
d
upon III" character of the ste,, "a, a whnl.
Tl!rn the ri ,ht foot Went homn in II similar
LJlIlematcd fashion, and the left foot w"nt ,Ip
and 80 on The soft pat of the mocr,l,incd
fee; 'l the men and the bare sole, "I the
:voM!"n was audible only in the n.grc.at"
.i!trr Il little marching, and cpuntcrna,rl.-
IL, around the space resrr.cI foe them, tho
't.:rrrs again came down TO the i"otisht,
SOTO slmol. and, by qlirl: turn. f":mc lin
four parallel rows, facinS "ltw ward In the
con cr We're the two rows Of women, and IN
each side a rp'v of men. In tins position they
danced in mark time fashion, mo. iM.s their
arms alternately up and down with ti..ir
les. The men used their ruttlcs mrn,i,nc.
each at stated interval, thruStmg his night
arm ont in shoulder striker style, and giving
at the same time Il loud ".ly. av..' All
s":ayc'l t;l"r bodies from side to side, ais. II!
graceful wise. The time kept by all va,
absolutely perfect, and the figures reminded
nlr of Il Virginia reel to the tunc the Old co.'s
died Of. Up and down between the open
lines Of the dancers gambolcl three ,all,
erect fellows, wIo We're among the most nm
pnrtant characters Of the day. T'l!ry wcl.,
naked save for their G-string. pla>terrd with
mad from lead to foot, and with u,lci,i.l.
strings dangling from KEGS to wrists. Each
had a hrl,tling knot Of corn h,iski linutte.l T.,
nys hair hehind, and carried similar scare
,,,,w III his hand. They were the clown, ,i
tta or,rasion, and called out many srun', ti'
.t"aks Of appreciation l,y their fantastic
ii..'nn wings. grimaces md other monkey
s.,."cs. -Chochiti (N. NJ, Cor. Glybc-prm0.
Crai.
In u Bad Way.
Little Chicago Boy-Kin you help poor.
harmless, helpless boy!
Kind Citizen-I reckon SO. Are you IN
orphan, sonnyi
Boy-I'm wuss nor an orphan. Ne fodder
an mudder is both divorced an married