Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-05
GREEN CORN DANCE.
A Queer Custom Of the Seneca Indians.
Odd Customs and Traditions.
Peculiar Way OF worshiping the Divine
Ruler-Curious Spectators Deeply
unprecedented seed'' Game.
webber Falls Ut Sentinel.

On Friday, August Is, last tho Seneca
Indians began their annual "Green Corn
Dance, and which is carried on with
Such solemnity and earnestness that
those who go there to laugh and scorn
would almost be converted TO pray. A
few days before the time appointed for
the festival a band OF braves are dis
patched on hunting expedition TO pro-
cure wild meat for the occasion. Every
night and morning while hunting the
captain of the hunters rises to his feet
while the rest fall to their knees, and in
this attitude prayer is offered up to the
Divine Ruler of the Universe for their
long continued prosperity and happiness.
When the game is secured it is strictly
against the rule to eat any of it until it
is placed on the festal grounds.
On the morning of the 18th of August
the sun rose behind q cloud, thus rainy
day was prophesied, but after awhile tho
clouds b-gan flying away and the sun
sent forth its bright rays, making the
day calm and serene.
At an early hour the crowds of peculiar
worshipers Gand curious spectators
began TO throng around the old shed to
participate in and witness the Seneca 8
mode of worship. A Sentinel reporter
was among the latter.
This sacred place OF worship Is located
one half mile north of Cowskin prairie
and in the most desolate place in the
Seneca Nation. There is thick timber on
all sides.
At clock q. m. as the great con-
course encircled the shed, man arose
and addressed the assembly thusly:
"Gentle audience, you are here to-day
to witness the Seneca s mode of worship.
This people have worshiped God in this
way ever since they have BEEN people.
If they were in existence IN the days of
Solomon they surely wOrshiped God
then as they do now in this enlightened
day and time.
"Now a few words to the Cherokees
and citizens. This is solemn occa-
sion and you must respect IL as such.
Please respect this people in their works
Just the same as if you were in your own
church holding to the horns of the altar,
because the great King of kings, who
holds the planets in their orbits, will
surely protect and save His people. Now,
kind friends, will you in the name of the
Chief of the Senecas, stand at q respect
able distance, and not crowd too close
around; you can thus witness the grand
and solemn exercises which are now to
take place.
Under the big shed is dancing ring,
in the center of which ia a slow burning
fire. Over this fire stands the gray
haired chief of the Seneca Indians, who
now addresses the assembly in his own
language-a language the writer could
not understand. Willis he thus speaks
he occasionally puts tobacco into the fire
and talks to the Indians while the weed
is burning.
Ere the old chief finishes his speech 1t
is noon and dinner is spread and awaiting
all to partake.
At u: 80 p. m. the dancers came forth
arrayed in their most ancient custom.
They were dressed in a warriors gulse
with eagle feathers in their caps and rat
ties on their legs composed of numerous
deer's feet and panther's claws. While
the chief beat a small drum of their own
manufacture the dancers, both men and
women, marched into the dancing ring
as bold and daring as the painted of four
centuries ago. Their cheeks were painted
red as Is the custom with the many In
dian tribes. They occasionally gave the
dreadful war-whoop which we suppose
sounded as blood-curdling as IN the
colonial days of American history. AS
the dancers pass around IN the ring they
pronounce in the Wyandotte language
the following words very ruggedly, vet
they sounded harmonious: ''He, he, he I,
ga, ha - which evidently mean "do,
do, do, IA, me-" Although we made
inquiry of several prominent Indians of
the meaning of these words no one would
tell US.
At O'Clock p. m. the dancing ceased
for awhile and infants and children
without name were brought forth and
received name from the Indian chief
tain. After this they began dancing
again and continued until the next day
at o CLOCK a. M, when they quit the
green corn dance and began the great
f'peach seed" game, which lasted until
evening.
In playing this game the whole tribe
divide into two clans-the wolf and
deer-and play with six peach seeds.
They bet heavily on both sides, and
sometimes the game lasts for weeks.
The Senecas are an enlighted tribe;
yet they have some very queer customs
and traditions which they hold on to.
Some of them have pretty fair educa-