New-York tribune., 1890-01-12
PAWNEE LORE.
INTERESTING AND VALUABLE RESEARCHES

Notes on the origin Customs and Character Of the
Pawnec People. BY George Bird Grlnlcll: II
lustratcd. 12mo. PIP. XNl4l7 Forest ana S'reaih
Publishing Company.
Mr. GrinneH has collected In this volume much
curious interesting and authentic Information CON
cerninr the Pawnee Indians and he has arranged ana
presented it with excellent method and admirable SIN
rlIcitv His studies have been conducted through
many years Of intimate friendship and close rca'ohs
with the pawnecs, and his aim hds been I" P'o'o'''
the tribal traditions. legends and folklore lIec H"'n
all intcrmXturc and accrction; to HVe the very
language Of the Indians whenever possible ana 10
put their more or less primitive ideas IN tler ha'""i
carb The result is a collection Of decided value anu
original flavor: really precious contribution to"au
anthropOlOgical science. well "a To the hstoS v"
tribe which IS passing away like the aborie1he' c'cH
where and the surviving remnant Of when Is alic'"'
through the very necessity Of adaptation 10 d "o"
environment parting with its wild and picturesque
mast The Pawnecs are people In whom the eienuci
rtcreet ehoud he taken because Of their stcadia'I
friendlness TO the Americans. They have never gone
to war with the white men, but nave Oh t"c ''"
trary fought side by side with the fcucr" ""1f'
against tribe after tribe of hostile lhoianS' '"0
record of the Pawnec Scouts with thcir eailan, com
mapder Major North may be said to equal tha' 'i
thc most distinguished Of the crack native rcS'"V"
IN India Pathan Gwaiwar or Mahratta never scrNou
more lovaly or more brilliantly than these superb
fighters under the Paini lie shar' Iheir rc""'" rl
these wears of important service has been S"lpN '
addition Of another page to the pla'h H'N''''' w .,
ncrady mcanness and dshonor which constitutes ','
annals Of the United states III ''o'' "7
Indians. . .t,t
The pawncc, were faithful allies and most n'el''
auxillare, but they cheated ont oi tnc" '''',
abuscd bv scouudrcly agents, hunted RON icl,'o '
wholesome TO arid and pestilental regions uc'',','
+, short as we have always treated the Indians WIN
combined hascncss and brutality NJ a'1 l'o "'''
seems to have become established ana III d l'' ",'
m ronor though Of course 1t is always on the cdI"'
that the land they occupy should DC coNe'' =,
white men, and that conspracies shohid u" n''"''
to plundcr them anew. When thcy are Eoh' '"o ''r
rc.e,t,tivcs # tne American people Will probably
find little satisfaction in rctracinc the shahelu ''
Of their predecessors dealings with the red men
hut they may bs interested in such carefully eaeeu
and graphically told narratives as Mr. "rnheil HAS
brought together. His book Is di'ldcn ih'' '',e'
parts: hero stories. follrtacs. ana ho'es Oh uo
pawncss In the first division thcrc are e'sH' SUI,
told bv chiefs Of stirring adventure ana oApi''
Tbcy Illustrate the Indian character well. we see
e vounr Indians in the first flush of manhood eAeer
IN lo warriors ambitions Of glory, mcdatng diIIh-
dcods and prcscrtlv either singly. or with sInal
chosen band. settling ont 10 win their p'-'u"" III '''
trbc To appreciate these tales II j. necessary u o''
in mind the Indian theory ~ war me I"u''n
NOT think self cSposurc brave A. rule but foolish
III, ideal oi warlIhc sucoc-, D., the mhic''h "l 'c
greatest injury ard the securing Of the largest Sp"
- tne minimum II cost Major North was w"f-MpPcd
by hi. P.wucc scouts. because he always ec"n'h"e'
the Ives 81 Dol, men, and De VA, trusted Hup''''N
ly them because they REGARDED him as The "S'st a.
well a, the Irlvc-t of lcldcl-.
Another thing 20 Dee rene cmbcrcd is that horses "'
with Indian, the proper spoil Of war. and 10 capture
then, uroferablv ly strategy. f. legitimate and
main object of every war party. Tho idea OF 't"aiht
7orses convey, 10 rs only the notion OF hrca'h ''
law and vul-ar thcft Int the indian u" more
re.ar- horse -t.ll!uc wrong ihin 'iVI|el t''''
would the capture of 900 cr"my' arlliI'i' D" ~ "'''
The utno.t craft and strategy employed in these
cNp di'io1s P.rhaps TIE mot curious ll" ir'''''
Of Indian ldlosyncra,cs found In The proceedings "'
one of the PaWucc heroes who feeling poor uti
fl. miserable and dovr-l,atci r'7o!vcs 70 '1cri
l. III, bv deliberately puuus himself n ihe hilA' "'
hostile tflc NI.i onc h'hni fr .nd De m'"c' Hi'
vav into q Comauchc village ard calmly chi'I' TITO
lodge Of "a chief. Tie sensation caused DS 'Ii' I"
90, ION is quIt" a dramatic picture The '"man'hr
recover from nis surprise sends ou Tor his ncic'h''
and ttcv come t-,Yp.ug and hold council 40 "'"
is pared 20 advise ae % the p'sal - the inrnd'
who meanwhile Sir silent and vat. hul. TIE st'hN''
i~ finally relieved Dos tt ot strategy ID" ~" l''' ' ''
owner oi tIc l.icr. who causes i''d ana 'i.'' ID
.r,lv u,..,d -o o.. r.auacs irnm uuo"r OBJ" "'t' of
3D.. ,..., ..a vr... r., have ca.cn prN drlrk o,',
t.oin 20 tie fact that tlrr hny" part ik"n oi , h''
,tt,,fv. and now De cannot in'ufc ucm A.'ihrr
rrcr,v story d, that ~ ynunr Ft"n'r "N" -''r :
Co,rchc e.rl in hcr fathers lh-" 'nd ih' 'n I'''
with her llls advent RS and th' success ih 'F'"'
li. quest ind ,ate t'r,t there mar o." much more
| ma-uar.mliy Iu ilc Ih-4ah 'hiI"'''' IMAM "'' '
commonly Suspected
The ,.l,. throw now Eight upon The Indian
,oti,e ~ f,e srcrrtf1-ol. The pnrncc thc0l -' i,
rocrr,r. Th,y icl.~,e iu q sUpfcm" Being. and tA"r
rr,v to Him for hcIp continually. ~ the sam" time
they think thnt We has dcput'f various animal
learcie lud-or- bears. snakes, wolves, hlid' '' ''
orci,c many q Ills occult powers. and these animal
o. f..r ff..I l.. lf I
i.uoDocut .orocr,.s. who can Il need Dee r'-i'rc t"
dead 10 lf. cure diseases. b. tow good iuc and in
other ways benefit such a- gain t'f favor. Ih''
age four specific place, where a--emhhc- of the 'n
mals are supposed ~ hc held, and where those "h"
rcqurc - enlist their services must repair ana N.rJ
surprising thing au done IN the-c assemblies. To
Pawncce believe ~ another life. and n ghosts. They
even hold that dead person Dee restored to Af'
under certain conditions though u these cases there
| j. ALWAYS a liability f, vanish on th" part "i u'
| r.ycnaut." Pawucc customs and icl'f, are HchN
Illustrated hy thc folk tales, ana IN III" c'pou' n'i''
! W. GiiuncU gives an uucpmm"nt -pui'i account
| of Pavroo life in peace and war. Tier" B, aH
| account Of the defence of Iawnoc village ly -p'
.ic, men, cripple. old men and squav,. AGAINST coo
sioux warriors. which for sheer gullaniry ana lh
domitallr pluck VIII match almost ANY thls M MI
| itary history. The Iavuce warriors were dII away
nj the time and The ~iouX counted up,u an easy vc
| tory. But Tie Pawncc crpplcs ard women actually
beat them Of after hard days hehilhg ana ~ "-'
I 30 tcrrOrzcd them that tho.hod asraiantS ncn H
/ panic and sustained heavy loss.
Mr. GnuucIl also las written picturesque and
/ vivucous sketch of one IL the la.t Iavnre buffalo
hunts. in which the Indian, commonly reverted 10
primitive weapon, and u-ages, often hunting quito
naked with no other than their bow and aro"'
\ particularly Interesting part of the book Is ihat
which treats Of the paVucc doctors or medicine men.
The statements Of Mr. Griuncl show the po, cs,on By
some Of these men of Kind Of skil in -lrchtof hand
far beyond that usually attributed To- Indians, some Of
the facts here described are a. pulLlns and unac
countac a. those performed by the famous Juee.cr-
and iahr, Of Ilndotan. while one of their trick, B.
q close parallel to the Eat Indian mango feat. The
following phenomena Witnc scd by Captain l.. Ii!
Norh brother Of the commander ol the lH"nr" SCOUT
several men. re-, presenting elk came into the uns