Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-27
THE GRASS DANCE.

Ono Of tho Few Surviving Dances OF the
North American Indian.
Every race, civilized and savage, must have
Its play. When David danced before the ark
it was in the performance Of religious rather
than a social ceremony. and this is true Of
many Of tho dances of the ancient races, and
essentially true in the main of the dancing Of
Indian tribes Many of these dances partak-
ing of the nature of the savage race were
barbarous and cruel. Many innocent dances,
however, are still enjoyed. The majority of
these are plainly religious ceremonies, and
with race SO filled with mysticism and rever-
ence for the supernatural as the Indians to
mere pastimes, even fetichism bears rela-
ton.
Today your correspondent witnessed at
the Crow agency hop or grass dance, the
most picturesque and widest scene that could
be painted or imagined. The savage finds
nothing useful or aesthetic in the habiliments
Of civilization, and even blankets and leggins
more to his fancy are discarded in the two
most important occupations of life-war and
dance. The only garment his sense of mod
esty or comfort requires is the clout yet it
must be said his aesthetic sense is Instructive
ly higher or more cultivated than that of his
white brother. The painted and beaded and
feathered savage is far more picturesque
and pleasing sight than the dude and his
adornments, and his adornment is less incon-
gruous to the artistic eye than the civilized
gentleman's evening dress, and, might add,
not much more without the bounds of modest
delicacy than the evening dress Of the civil
lied lady.
As among all ancient nations, the sexes min
gle in very few of the dances. There are squaw
dances and buck dances, but promiscuous
dancing seems undiscovered or under the ban.
The grass dance is buck dance; the squaws
arrange the arena and contribute the grace
and inspiration Of their presence, but bear no
part in the dance.
The costume of the dance Is striking. A
crest of gaudy colored bristles surmounts his
own reached and braided long jet black hair.
At his waist is bound feathered garment,
which covers half the back and trails On the
ground. As he dances, arms and legs hre en-
circled by girdles of shining metal or rich
hued furs, and horns and rosettes Of many
varieties Of ornaments are disposed about his
body, but the most important part Of his
makeup is the ornamentation applied direct
ly to the skin. This is painted from face to
feet in most fanciful and grotesque variety
one-half the face will be red or black, the
other white, or perhaps on q solid ground
will be imposed figures Of white, or green, or
blue. The body may be painted white, or
red, or green, or may combine all the colors
the fancy suggests
ooh, aren't those pretty silk tightsl" was
the comment of tenderfoot when she saw
the first full dress dance. A neighbor sng
gested that they were not silk tights, but
only buck skin, ''mot" I think worth pre-
serving.
The instrument which furnishes music for
the dance is huge drum, made usually by
stretching skin over a section of the hollow
bowl of a cottonwood tree. Around this are
seated ten or a dozen drurnmers, each pro-
vided with one stick, with which he pounds
vigorously and in excellent time. The arena
is a circle of smooth grass 100 feet wide, sur
rounded by an awning for the protection
from the sun of the dancers and spectators.
1t is a spectacle more savely grand and
strikingly picturesque and stirring than can
be found elsewhere to see 100 painted and
feathered savages at the sound Of the tom
TOM spring from their seats, each chanting
a weird song in minor key and step pecu-
liar and inimitable, in absolutely perfect ac-
cord with the music. enact the various figures
of the dance, the sham battle, the stealthy
advance, the fierce charge, the killing, the
scalping, the retreat, the figures and music
growing more Wild and grotesque as the
dance progresses Aont) Cor. San
Francisco Chronicle.