Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-30
THE slUUx sun DANCE.
IMPORTANT EVENT m THE LIFE
or A YOUNG INDIAN BRAVE.

III
napORTANT EVENT m THE LIFE
- s.o.,,,r r,n,.n ap.ve
ma. p>r.,., r....,>... v,.s
sssefs -" "e'-
ssr Fes s-esshs HoarA In the Hot ssa
Wuhss, a Drop II water.
A sun dance b more Important event IN
II life II young Sioux buck than tho
.ArouiES cut ball Of . society debutante. for
in his case it transforms Q boy int . war
ric- .n., gives him a STANDING. in his hand
a., \. r,,s, .ch;.v. or ~. ,.sots., urop with
-.., ..,,0.. s,,,,.,~ " ~ arr,ssS;va
49," w '' -.
neH&s sfooIo eHinP W Es ~ "as
after his hetters have been served NO ouek
can appear in council and talk-a function
q dear to the Indians heart as it is TO the
before mentioned society belle--unless he has
.,,,,,a ,b-o,,,b with Tho phvs;cai dis,omforts
p ~. ,,,,,,,,,,;., ,.,,,,
,,o,-s
Inc aAce' WHICH iaSeA eo'a'
ours ABOUT once year N July VI august.
Notice OF the date and place OF holding Is sens
by runners to all the different bands OF tine
Sioux tribe. Having been told by friend oil
mine, Standing EiS, CHIEF OF band OF spot
ted Tail Indians, who spoke excellent English
when asking for whisky or tobacco, tnat OLD
Spots outfit were going to have nn dance
near their agency, ON the heya- rama about
thirty i've miles from the post where was
akAt.a l n
GERS to ride over and see IT. STANDING Elk
who was to be the grand marshal agreed TO
provide US with reserved seats.
After some diitcuity we found tue place,
and saw before US, OH a rising plateau on the
other side OF the peaks OF the keya-Paha,
hundreds OF tepees and several thousands OF
bucks, squaws and papooses, also great
mass OF other animal iifa There were i4,ouV
or lo,Wu Indians present This crowd,
mounted ana on 1901, was centerins on the
big dance house, where the festivities were
In full blast. the dancing having begun with
the nrst rays of the sun, all OF the dancers
having spent the previous night seated In a
circle In the center OF thus tepee waiting Tor
the sun to rise.
Inc "a-che-ree tepee tor dance house, was
an immense circle, incitsed on The outside,
except wide entrance by posts set in the
ground; the spaces filled in with brush, with
shade OF the same built over the top. The
ui'uuie vi 'niS iheNsui ~ 'nc
va. ~" W ',,o ~ So. u ~"
eiiui Sun an a,ouiiu TINS one,e' Wv tno
Pee's supp 'ihs 'ne siiaue, were huhs oai.'
neis o. inherent coioreu eaiicoes, paih'e1 oui-
taio hioes anu sasiy ueeota.eu shieius OF tne
same i'ia'erha'' Inc general erect was mat
Vi clicas-
IN 'he center OF the circle was planted a
.an cotuoh"oou Poie, from which were nuhg
osa'neIs' nrhts punaio heaas, medicine
oASs, ouncnes Oh paihteo porcupihe quiils
ouhoies oi uHus feathers anu large hsures OF
men cut OUT OF ouifalo hide. ms pole was
cut hauled toits place and planted by num-
Der OF maiueiis the evening before IL Is the
ohiy part OF tue ceremony women are al
lowed 10 participate In. Ihey are even ex-
ciuued from the ihciosure, out are kindly al
lowed to gratlfy their curiosity by peeplng
through the outside brush.
The orchestra located opposite the en-
trance consisted OF SIX enormous tomto'ns,
operated by as choice body OF thieves and
cutthroats as ever murdered music. The
dance, icing continuous IRON the rising OF
the sun untll tine going down on the second
Gay, requires unceasing music, so there was
detail OF musical experts to relieve each
other AT stated intervals.
sEvfRE TEST.
The dancers, more than 15O-most of them
Youngsters going through the ordeal for the
first time-are ranged around the center pole
keeping time with the tomtoms with O pecu-
liar step that requires one foot at a time to he
raised while the weight of the body is brought
down on the heel that is touching the ground
The body is crouched and bent forward with
the arms raised, the right arm being extended
a, We the head when the left foot is down.
and the left arm when the right foot is down.
This alternating motion constitutes the dance
and can be kept up without gaining ground.
But the fresh youths occasionally spring both
backward aud forward and thereby elicit mp
piause. All the time the dancers must face
| the sun and look at il, They arenot allowed
any head covering, and are stripped naked
except a breech clout
The dancers hold in their mouths whistles
| made out Of the bones Of turkeys wings
which they blow us they breathe. the object
being TO keep the mouth dry They are not
| allowed water or food during the whole time
of the danes about forty-ejyht hours To
intensity their desire for water. which is the
harder of the two to bea:, several philanthro-
pists 60 among them with water, which they
pour from a cup into bucket in front Of the
dancers so they can AMI smell it. These
philanthropists are accompanied by good
Samaritans, who assist the power OF the sun
by flashing light from looking glass into the
dancers eyes.
Only the most tender hearted of these cul-
tured children Of nature are ntrusted with
these delicate missions, and they must belong
to different lodges than the dancers they APP
pear before. Their desire is to break down
the dancers, while it Is a matter of pride
with the members of the lodges to which
these youngsters belong to succeed, and it il
permissible for buck, not one of the
dancers, to go alongside OF a tired friend and
let him lean his back against him, both keep
ing up the dance Although the dance
not more than six or seven hours old when
We appeared, there were several dancers be-
ing assisted in this manner. The only cess,i-
ton Of the dance allowed the dancer teach
one gets his chance) is when the big M sdicne
him nm To bt, operated upon But he is only
permitted to stand still long enough to en-
dure that pleasure, which consists in having
missions made in the flesh of his breasts Or