The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
SIOUX SUN-DANCE.
PECULIAR AND DANGEROUS GUS.
TOM OF AN INDIAN TRIBE.
1t is Dedicated to the Sun-A Bar
barfc Scene-Chargins at a
Pole-Accidents Which
Resulted.

Lieutenant Schwatka contributes to,
the Century a curious custom of the,
Sioux. From the 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 uniformly taperlng
trunk that could be found within q
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 number of maidens gailyI
dressed in the beautiful beaded buckskin
gowns they wear on state occasions; the,
part of the maidens is to str the tree of.
its limbs as high as possible without
telling it. i
"The selection of the tree is the only
apecialf feature of the first days celebration.i
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 partici-'
pants in the next great step were prepar-,
inc themselves for the ordeal; and quar-
ter of an hour before the sun rose above.
the broken hills of white clay long line
of young warriors, in grogeous war paint
and feathers, with rifles, bows and ar
rows, and war lances in hand, faced the
east and the sun-pole, which was from
five to six hundred yards away. Ordi-
narily this group of warriors numbers
from fifty to possibly two hundred men.
An Interpreter near me estimated the line
I beheld rs from q thousand to twelve
hundred strong. Not far away, on high
hill overlooking the barbaric scene, was
an old warrior, medicine man of
the tribe, think, whose solemn duty it
was to announce by shout that could be
heard by every one of the expectant throng
the exact moment when the tip of the
morning sun appeared above the eastern
hills. Perfect quiet rested upon the line
of young warriors, and upon the great
throng of savage spectators that BACKED
the green hills overlooking the arena.
Suddenly the old warrior, who had been
kneeling on one knee, with his extended
palm shading his shaggy eyebrows, arose
to his full height, and in slow, dignihed
manner waved his blanketed arm above
his head. The few warriors who were
still unmounted now jumped hulTedly
upon their ponies; the broken, waVering
line rapidly took on more regular ap-
pearance; and then the old man, who
had gathered himself for the great effort,
hurled forth yell that could be heard to
the uttermost limits of the great throng.
The morning sun had sent its commands
to its warriors on earth to charge.
"The shout from the hill was re-
echoed by the thousand men in the val
ley; it was caught up by the spectators on
the hills as the long line of warriors
hurled themselves forward toward the
sun-pole, the objective point of every
savage in the yelling line. As they con-
verged toward it the slower ponies
dropped out, and the weaker ones were
crushed to the rear. Nearer and nearer
they came, the long line becoming
massed until it was but a surging crowd
of plunging horses andyelling, gesticulat.
ing riders. When the leading warriors
had reached point within hundred
yards of the sun-pole, sharp report OF
rifles sounded along the line, and mo-
ment later the rushing mass was sheet
of fame, and the rattle of rife shots was
like the rapid beat of drum resounding
among the hills. Every shot, every ar.
row, and every lance was directed at the
pole, and bark and chips were flying
from its sides like shavings from to
rotary bit of planer. When every bull
let 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 have been chosen and
another morning devoted to this per-
formance. Though this seldom happens,
it was thought that the numerous assail-
ants of this pole might bring it to the
ground. They did not, however, al.
though it looked like ragged scare
crow, with chips and bark hanging from
| its mutilated sides.
"That such a vast, tumultuous throng
could escape accident in all that wild
charging, firing of shots, hurting of
lances and arrows, and great excitement
would be bordering on a miracle, and no
miracle happened. One of the great
warriors was trampled upon in the charge
and died late that evening, and another
Indian was shot. The bruises, sprains
and cuts that might have been spoken of
in laocor offo;re upra here unnOtice0 and