Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-09
THE SIOUX SUN DANCE.
IMPORTANT EVENT IN THE LIFE
OF A YoUaG INoiAN BRAVE.

His Courage and Physical Endurance Put
TO Severe Test-Dancing on His Heels
for Forty-eighi Hours. In the Hot Sun.
without a Drop p of Water.
sun dance is more important event in
the life Of n young Sioux buck than the
coming out" bal OF a society debutante, for
In bis case il tran Storms a boy into a war.
rior, and gives him a standing in his band
that he must achieve or be looked upon with
contempt as coffee cooler, an expressive
term used by the Indians, meaning one who
hangs around a camp TO beg for what is left
atter his betters have been served No buck
can appear in council and talk-a function
ns dear to the lnlian's heart as it is to the
before mentioned society belle-unlAss he has
gone through with the physical discomforts
Of this ceremonial dance.
AN IMMENSE DANCE HOUSE.
The dance, which lasts about two days. oc@
ours about once year, in July or August.
Notice of the date md place of holding is sent
by runners to all the different bands of the
Sioux tribe Having been told by a friend of
mine, Standing Elk, chief of band of Spot
ted Tall Indians, ho spoke excellent English
when asking for whisky or tobacco, that old
Spots outfit were going to have a sun dance
near their agency, on the Keya-Paha, about
thirty-ive miles from the post where was
serving, In Dakota, l got up party of Off
GERS 10 ride over and see it. Standing Elk
who was to be the grand marshal, agreed to
provide us with reserved seats.
After some diffiC ulty we found the place,
and saw before us, ON rising plateau on the
other side of the peaks of the Keya-Paha
hundreds of tepees and several thousands of
bucks, squaws ami papooses, also great
mass of other animal life There were ID, 600
Or 5000 Indians present. This crowd
mounted and on foot, was centering on the
big dance house, where the festivities were
in full blast, the dancing having begun with
the first rays of ths sun, all of the dancers
having spent the pr evious night seated in
circle in the center of this tepee waiting for
the sun to rise.
The Wa-che-pee tepee (or dance houSe) was
an immense circle, inclosed on the outside,
except wide entrance by posts set in the
ground; the spaces filed in with brush, with
a shade of the same built over the top. The
middle of this inclosure-occupied by the
dancers-was open % the full glare of pow
erful sun All around this circle, on the
PcSeo Sul'lpi biLB bit' Sudue, were DunG Dan
ners of different colJred calicoes, painted buff
falo hides and gayly decorated shields of the
same material Ths general effect was that
of a circus
In the center of the circle was planted a
tall cottonwood pole, from which were hung
banners, lariats, buffalo heads, medicine
bags, bunches of PAINTED porcupine quilts,
bundles of birds fes theirs and large figures Of
men cut out Of bufial hide This pole was
cut, hauled toits place and planted by a num-
Der of maidens the evening before 1t is the
only part of the ceremony women are al
lowed to participats in. They are even ex-
cluded from the inclosure, but are kindly al
lowed TO crafty thsr curiosity by peeping
through the outside brush.
The orchestra, located opposite the en-
trance, consisted of six enormous tomtoms.
operated by as choice a body of thieves and
cutthroats as ever murdered music The
dance, being contin lous from the rising of
the sun until the going down on the second
day, requires uncea ling music, so there was
a detail of musical experts TO relieve each
other at stated intervals.