The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-11-23
would frequently be several days free
L

would frequently be several days free
ing himself.
AS rule each tribe had at least one
purely religious dance each year If a
tribe was in good circumstances they
sometimes had two or more. Of:ll the
ceremonial dances the medicine dance
took precedence, and the scalp dance
came next in Importance. This always
occurred the day following the return
OF a successful war party and was only
participated in by the members Of that
party. Before the dance a ceremony
was performed by the warriors who took
the scalps, no one else being permi tied
to be present or to see what was done.
The Indians who took part in this would
sit in close circle and during the cere-
mony the scalps would be trimmed and
cleared Of all fleshy matter and the skin
cured. Each scalp was then stretched
on wooden hoop and the hair dressed.
After this each warrior attached his
scalps to q small pole. This ceremony
was looked upon with great reverence
and was preparatory to the scalp dance.
When it had been finished all the war
| riors marched in single file back to the
camp and planted their poles with the
dangling scalps in circle in the center
of the spot chosen for the dance. Those
who had scalps were then joined by the
others OF the party who had taken part
in the fight and had won the right to
participate in the dance.
All assembled around the circle facing
the poles. A signal was given, all tho
warriors joined hands and commenced
a monotonous song, keeping time with
slow steps while turning about the
scalps. AS the dance progressed the
| warriors loosed their hands, and whoops
and yells were tnterspersed in the song.
Wilder and wilder became their actions,
and they leaped and bounded in the air,
brandishing their weapons until they
! had worked themselves into an intox-
| 1catlon of mad excitement. Suddenly
one OF the dancers would spring to the
center OF the circle, and, in the vain
glorious language of his race, recount
his story, and by his actions go through
the performance OF taking the scalps
over again. When each one who had
taken scalp had finished his story,
each OF the others who had been in the
war party would recount his action and
tell OF the great deeds he had performed
and at the same time tell how the in.
fiuence of the bad God" had prevented
him from acquiring any scalps This
was continued until each dancer had
time to recount all his wonderful ex.
] nj ~ 70 md t,1y% 1>s -. =
was wild with frenzy.
These two were the great ceremonial
dances Of all the wild tribes. The Sioux
and the Navajoes had dance which was
called the green corn Dance" from the
fact that it was in honor of the ripening
OF the ears OF corn. In this both men
and women participated, and it was a
test of chastity as we'll as religious Ger.
emony. This dance had a counterpart
among the Seminoles, but their rites
ended in the widest voluptuary orgies.
But it was in the social dance that the
Indians OF all tribes took the greatest
delight. The social side OF the Indian
has been so little written about that tc
the popular mind he is only known as q
taciturn individual who never LAUGHS no,
has any amusement. This is wonderful
from the fact that the Indian race takes
more enjoyment in pleasure than any
other portion OF the human family, AND
the social dance has such attractions
that men and women will ride manv
miles to participate in them. 1t is in
! these dances that many courtships are
carried out, and not only dc the younger
members OF the tribes get their partners
Tor life, but often the arrangements arc
made by which q woman transfers hel
affections from one husband to another,
One CT Shc most noted and anost favor
ably received dance is the kissing dance.
or danceof love. This is participa ted in
by both sexes, and many an opportunity
is given 10 kiss the objectof the affec.
lions While none may say nay. The
husband must stand perfectly unnloved
while he sees his wife Lavish endear.
ments OH some other man, and any show
OF resentment On his part either then OF
thereafter brings down on h;s head the
ccnsure OF the whole tribe.
Probably; the most curious and at the
same time most unusual of all dances
was the begging dance. 1t required two
tribes who had been at war, ;aasa who had
become friendly, in order 80 consummate
the dance, which WAS a surprise upon
one Of the tribes. All OF Ghe warriors of
one tribe rush suddenly into she camp
OF the other, yelling and firing
guns, with every sc1nblanee of q
furious attack. The assaulted Indians
recognize the nature Of the iufliction
and form circle in the center of the
camp. At q signal the attacking party
lays aside its arms and performs a
series OF dances, during the progress of
which the dancers spring from the
circle and each seizes a warrior from
the other tribe, whom he hugs with
every evidence of affection. Each In
dian receiving such an embrace is re-
quired by custom to make a present to
the one who embraces him, and, as he
is expected to he liberal, q begging
dance is generally looked upon as being
as grave calamity as hostile raid.
The dances mentioned were common
to all tribes. Ia addition each Tribe
had numerous social dances, and in
good seasons, when every thing went
well with the Indians, at least five
nights every week were spent in this
ypleasure.-C. E. Edwards. in Kansas
City Journal. -.