Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-24
THE sUN.DANcE OF THE SIOUX.
A Graphic Description of the Great Dance
Dedicated to the Sun.

Lieut. Schwatka contributes to. and
Frederic Remington graphically illus
trates in the Century. a curious custom
of the Sioux. From this article we
quote the following: when all had
assembled and the medicine-men had
set the date for the beginning of the
great dance dedicated to the sun, the
'sun-pole' was selected. A handsome
young pine or fir, forty or fifty feet
high. with the straightest and most uni
formly tapering trunk that could be
found within reasonable distance,
was chosen. The selection is always
made by some old woman, generally
the oldest one in the camp, if there is
any way of determining, who leads a
number of maidens gaily dressed in the
beautiful beaded buckskin gowns they
wear on state occasions; the part of
the maiden is to strip the tree of its
limbs as high as possible without fell
ing it. Woe to the girl who claims to
be a maiden, and joins the procession
claims any reputable warrior or squaw
may publicly proclaim. Her punish
ment is swift and sure. and her degra-
dation more cruel than interesting.
The selection of the tree is the only
special feature of the first days cele-
bration. After it has been stripped of
its branches nearly to the top, the
brushwood and trees for considerable
distance about it are removed, and it
is left standing for the ceremony of the
second day.
Long before sunrise the eager par
Elephants in the next great step were
preparing themselves for the ordeal;
and quarter of an hour before the sun
rose above the broken hills of white
clay long line of naked young war;
riors. in gorgeous war-paint and feath-
ers, with rifles, bows and arrows, and
war-lances in hand, faced the east and
the sun-pole, which was from five to
six hundred yards away. Ordinarily
this group of warriors number from
fifty to possibly two hundred men. An
interpreter near me estimated the line
| beheld as from a thousand to twelve
hundred strong. Not far away on
high hill overlooking the barbaric
scene. was an old , arrior medicine
man of the tribe, | think, whose solemn
duty it was to announce by a shout
that could be heard by every one of
the expectant throng the exact moment
when the tip of the morning sun APP
peared above the eastern hills. Per-
feet quiet rested upon the line of young
warriors and upon the great throng of
savage spectators that blocked the
green hills overlooking the arena. Sud-
denly the old warrior, who had been
kneeling on one knee, with his EXTEND
ed palm shading his scraggy eyebrows,
arose to his full height and in a slow
diSniied manner waved his blanketed
arm high above his head. The few
warriors who were still unmounted
now jumped hurriedly upon their
ponies; the broken, wavering line
rapidly took on more regular appear
ance; and then the old man, who had
gathered himself for the great effort,
hurled forth a yell that could be heard
to the uttermost limits of the great
throng. The morning sun had sent it's
commands to its warriors on earth to
charge.
The shout from the hill was re-
echoed by the thousand men in the
valley; it was caught up by the spec
tators on the hills as the line of war
riors hurled themselves forward to-
ward the sun-pole, the objective of
every armed and naked savage in the
yelling line. AS they converged to-
wards it the slower ponies dropped
out, and the weaker ones were crushed
to the rear. Nearer and nearer they
came the line now becoming massed
until it was but a surging crowd of
plunging horses and yelling, gesticu-
lating riders. When the leading war;
riors had reached a point within hum
dred yards of the sun-pole, sharp re-
port of rifles sounded along the line.
and a moment later the rushing mass
was sheet Of flame, and the rattle of
rifle shots was like the rapid beat of
drum resounding among the hills.
Every shot, every arrow, and every
lance was directed at the pole, and
bark and chips were flying from its
sides like shayings from the rotary bit
of a planer. When every bullet had
been discharged, and every arrow and
lance had been hurled, the riders
crowded around the pole and shouted
as only excited savages can shout.
Had it fallen in this onslaught an
other pole would at once have been
chosen and another morning devoted
to the performance. Though this sell
dom happens, it was thought that the
numerous assailants of this pole might
bring it to the ground. They did not.
however, although it looked like a
ragged scarecrow, with chips and bark
hanging from it's mutilated sides.
THAT such vast, tumultuous throng
could escape accident in all that wild
charging. firing of shots, hurting of
lances and arrows, and great excite
ment would be bordering on miracle,
and no miracle happened. One of the
great warriors was trampled upon in
the charge and died late that evening,
another Indian was shot. The bruises,
sprains, and cuts that might have been
spoken of in lesser affairs were here
unnoticed, and nothing was heard OF
them.