Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-02
A SIOUX SUN DANCE.
An Important Event in a Young Indians
Life-A Severe Test Of n Warrior's
PhvsicuI Endurance.

An Important Event in Young Indians
Life-A Severe Test of warrior's
Physical Endurance.
A sun dance is a more important event in the
life of young Sioux buck than the coming
out" ball of society debutante, for in his case
it transforms boy into warrior, 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 after his betters
have been served. No buck can appear in
council and taik-a function as dear to the In
dams heart as it is to the aforementioned
society belle-unless he has gone through with
the physical discomforts of this ceremonial
dance. 1t is also religious affair, and many
old bucks dance, believing by SO doing they
propitiate the Great Spirit and have success
in their undertakings.
80
The dance, which lasts about two days. oc-
ours about once a year. in July or August.
Notice of the date and place Of holding is sent
by runners to all the different bands of the
Sioux tribe The short time required to convey
this, or any other information Of Importance,
to these people by the means they employ, of
runners and signals, has long been a matter of
wonderment to those who have lived among,
them.
Having been told by a friend Of mine Stand
ing Elk, chief of band of Spotted Tail In
dians. who spoke excellent English when ask
ing for whisky or tobacco. that old Spots outfit
were gong to have a sun dance near their
agency, on the Keya-Paha, about 35 miles from
the post where 1 was serving, in Dakota, got
up party of officers to ride over and see it.
Standing Elk, who was to be the Grand Mar
shal, agreed to provide us with reserved seats.
After some difficulty we found the place and
saw before us, on a rising plateau on the other
side of the breaks of the Keya-Paha, hundreds
of tepees and several thousands of bucks,
squaws and papooses; also great mass of other
animal life The crowd was so large that right
there on the open prairie, short time before
our arrival, a boy haG been crushed to death
in a stampede that had occurred. There were
1000 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 the sun, all of the dancers having spent
the previous night seated in circle in this
tepee waiting for the sun to rise.
"a
1t was no easy matter to get close enough to
the entrance of the big tepee to find the Grand
Marshal; but by careful riding and judicious
use of "How codar'-a polite expression of
hello, friend!-we succeeded, and saw stand
ing close to the orchestra, in all the majesty of
his SIX feet of powerful physique new red
blanket, freshly painted face and gay war
bonnet of eagles feathers my friend Standing
Elk with the baton of Office in his hand.
The Wa-che-pee tepee (or dance house) was
an immense circle, Inclosed on the outside, ex-
cept wide entrance by posts set in the ground;
the spaces filled in with brush. with shade of
the same built over the top. The middle of
this inclosure-occupied by the dancers-was
open to the full glare Of a powerful sun. All
around this circle, on the posts supporting the
shade, were hung banners of different colored
calicoes, painted buffalo hides, and gaily dec
GRATED shields of the same material. The gen.
eral effect was that of a circus.
In the center of the circle was planted tall
cottonwood pole from which were hung BAN
ners, lariats, buffalo heads, medicine bags.
punches of painted porcupine quills, bundles of
birds feathers, and large figures of men cut
out of buffalo hide. This pole was cut, hauled
to its place and planted by number of
maidens the evening before. 1t is the only
part of the ceremony women are allowed to
participate in. They are even excluded from
the inclosure, but are kindly allowed to crafty
their curiosity by peeping through the outside
brush. Great numbers of handsomely dressed
ladies availed themselves of this opportunity
use the term handsomely dressed" advsedly
the prevailing costumes consisting of deer
skin mantles, beautifully beaded, with as many
as so pounds of beads on a mantle.
Hx~
The orchestra, located opposite the entrance,
consisted of six enormous tom-toms, operated
by as choice a body of thieves and cut-throats
as ever murdered music. The dance, peing
continuous from the rising of the sun until its
gong down on the second day requires unceas-
ing music, so there was detail of musical ex-
perts to relieve each other, at stated intervals
The sound they make on the tom-toms, in con-
nection with their voices chanting "Hi-ya! Ho-
ya!' is monotonous; but It is in perfect tune,
and not as disagreeable near by as at distance
on dark, still night.
The dancers, more than I50-most of them
youngsters going through the ordeal for the
first time-are ranged around the center pole,
keeping time with the tom-toms with a peculiar
step that requires one foot at a time to be
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
above 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 back
ward and forward. and thereby elicit applause
All the time the dancers must face the sun and
look at II. 1Qey are not dllOWeQ any QeaQ
covering. and are stripped naked, except
breech clout.
~
The dancers hold in their mouths whistles,
made out of the bones of turkeys wings which
they blow as they breathe, the object being to
keep the mouth dry. They are not allowed
water or food during the whole time of the
dance (about As hours). To intensity their de-
sire for water, which is the harder of the two |
to bear, several philanthropists go among them |
with water, which they pour from a cup into a |
bucket in front of the dancers, so they can see |
and smell it. These philanthropists are accom- |
panied by good Samaritans who assist the |
power of the sun by flashing light from look |
ing glass into the dancers eyes.
Only the most tender hearted of these cul- |
tured children Of nature are entrusted with |
these delicate missions, and they must belong |
to different lodges than the dancers they ap- |
pear before Their desire is to break down the |
dancers, while it is matter of pride with the |
members Of the lodges to which these young |
sters belong to succeed, and it is permissible for
q buck. not one of the dancers, to go alongside |
of ~ Lot t,so