The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-01
MUST HAVE HAIR TO RULE.
Why Chief Blinking Bear Was Deposed by
His Tribe. ..

HIS IrlDC.
On the Tobacco Plains, few miles up
the kootenai river from Bonner's Ferry,
Idaho. lives Flathead Indian on the top
of whose head there is not lock of hair nor
n vestiee of skin. The crown is almost as
bare as polished bone, and it looms up
among the wickiups of the Flatheads an
object of as much interest among the white
settlers as il has long been of grave con-
sideration at the pow-wows of the Indians.
Thereon hangs curious story. few
years ago, just when the buffaloes began to
grow scarce on their feeding ground be-
You'd the Bitter Root mountains, the Flat
heads were massed with the Nez
Perces, their cousins, for a regular
annual hunt. They crossed the noun
tains, found the buffaloes unusually plenti-
full. and began killing them. But. while
in the midst of their sport their old enc
mics, the Blackfeet, heard Of them, and,
arriving on the scene, attacked them in
large numbers, killing many. The Flat
heads and Nez Perces fought valiantly, but
were finally beaten, quite number being
overtaken and shot down as they ran.
Among these was the huge Flathead
Blinking Bear. n valiant chief of the tribe.
He was surrounded. and when some of his
band returned to him after the Blackfeet
onslaught they found him prone on the
ground, his body full of arrows and he ap-
parently lifeless. Almost Immediately there
was another attack. and they were Obliged
to dee, leaving their dead Recrossing the
Bitter Roots, they went into camp in a
secure place and 30 remained for q couple
of days, nursing their wounded and prcpar-
ing to return home, meantime mourning
1noo s Rlsy,LS,,rp xrst
bowling.
1t is said that Indians are never SURF rised,
but perhaps nobody was ever more aston
ished than these red men that same evening
when Blinking Bear, his body pierced with
arrows and his head devoid of his whilom
scalped. Around the crown Of his head
from just above his eyes to the nape of his
neck was swollen disc of red. The whole
top Of his almost square head was bare tc
the skull. Chief Blinking Bear was taken
in and cared for, and, after it was sure tina,
he would recover, the medicine men WERE
called in to devise means for making hi.
hair grow again. They held several consul
tations and lamentations, and finally cooked
up lot of herbs and applied the result
| to his head. Blinking Rear wore hug,
poultice. we'll soaked IN it for long time
but it availed nothing in the way intended
though it healed the wound. Thi
|
medicine men with having offended thei
god, and threatened to remove them i
they did not bring forth the recalcitran
hairs. The medicine men knew there wa
no joke about this, and they held more In
carnations aud pow-wows. They were inef
fective. Finally. the medicine men, secin
they could do nothing, and knowing the
would be killed if they remained, fled to tn
Blackfeet and allied themselves with them
After many other remedies had been ap
piled, all proving of no avail. Blinkin
Hear was forced to conclude that he mus
go without any hair. By this time, how
ever, his tribe had grown dissatisfied.
bald chief was something unknown in tn
annals of the tribe. They did not like tn
style. and they deposed Blinking Bear, an,
for half dozen years he has been simply
private member of the band he once ruled
Blinking Bear is about 50 years of age, ant
were it not for his bare skull would be
very handsome Indian. He is in excelleu
health.