Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-28
THOSE INDIAN DANCES
Sun-Dance Prohibited-H0w Young
Men are Admitted to Be Braves.
The War Danca-Funeral Dance Around
Burial Fcafnld-was It White
woman's Scalp.
Copyrighted by the United Press. }

tCopyrlgnteo py Inc Onlted PreS4.
For the Gazette.
A good deal of curiosity Is doubtless
felt by many as 10 the meaning of the
Indian ghost dance-as to why Indians
should express their feelings by dancing,
when civilized people would show their
sentiments upon q solemn subject in q
very different way. the dance, among
white Americans, ia a psetime; with the
red man 1t is both ceremony and q
duty. He dances before he goes to war;
he dances when he returns; he dances at
the death Of his enemy and the burial Of
his friend. The Sioux youth dances, or
did dance through exquisite torture, into
q place among the braves of his clan
and bears with him for life the marks Of
the terrible ordeal. It was the fortune
of the writer, when about eighteen years
of age, twenty-six years ago, to witness
the famous dance. 1. is doubtful that
this dance will ever again be performed
in all its ancient glory, or perhaps "hor-
ror' would be more fitting expression.
The government long ago
FORBADE THE Sun DANCE
on the Indian reservation, and il per-
formed at all ii must now be without
the freedom and publicity which were
necessary to its complete cuccess.
At the period mentioned, Sitting Bull
was just becoming known as a leader of
the hostile Sioux. 1t may be noted here
that Sitting Bull was not born chief.
He did not come by origin from what
McAllister might call the Sioux Four
Hundred. What fame and influence he
acquired were earned BIZ bis personal
merits or dement's, according as his acts
are viewed from an Indian or Caucas-
Ian standpoint. After becoming an ac-
knowledgsd chief he WAS always re-
garded by the chiefs of aristocratio orI-
gin much as Napolean was looked upon
by the ancient dynasties of European
upstart they are compelled to respect,
but are rather inclined to sniff at. On
another occasion the writer may have
more to say upon this and kindred mat
tiers. At present he will contine himself
to the sun dance. This dance is really
an imitation. No Sioux is obliged to
undergo it. The youth has his choice,
when arrived at manly age, of being
woman-man-the word "squaw' is
unhnow1 to the Sioux-or of
proving by tbs fortunes of the sun dance
that he ID fitted to be warrior. If he
prefers to be woman-man he will not
be ill-treated or even scOffed at. He
will become a household slave as the
women are, aud be used like them, as a
newer of wood and drawer of water to
the men of the tribe.
HE MUST DRESS LIKE THE WOMEN,
and like them he is left at home when
the braves go to hunting or to battle.
In fact this treatment is such matter
of course that stranger might visit
camp and encounter any number of these
persons, and have no reason to suppose
that they were other than women.
With the young man who does not
shrink from the sun-dance IL is q diff
ferent affair. His chances of dying I'M
der 1t are consld srabls. do not remem-
Der hearing any percentage stated; but
the deaths, when all the forms are
rigidly complied with, cannot be less
than one in four. Few white men could
survive, but the toughened constitution
of the Indian holds up marvelously when
every nerve must be In agony. 1t was
in Sioux camp on bluff near the Mis-
souri, river that l witnessed the sun
dance. In a ''tepae' or tent of buffalo
skin, four or five braves we're dancing
slowly and deliberately around the CEN
ter pole keeping up monotonous chant.
1 noticed that each of them was attached
to the pole by long strings of buffalo
hide. In one OF two cases the strings
were connected with the breast; in the
other cases with the back. The muscu-
lar tissue near each nipple, if the fas-
tening was at the front, had been gath
cred by a grasp of the hand and knife |
run through IT. Then the tough string of |
buffalo rawhide was passed through |
the opening. a1d connected with the |
pole. If the fastening was at the back, |
the process was similar. The pain thus |!
occasioned to the victim may be mag |
ined. He must not only endure without |
a sigh or groan, but must forthwith |
proceed to dance, and keep up the dane
ing without food, for days If requisite, |
until the friction of the rawhide sewers
the muscles and releases the captive
AFULL-FLEDGED BRAVE.
He is then Immediately fed q rich soup |
prepared for the occasion, and every |
care and attention that Indians know is
bestowed upon his recovery. The young |
man may be released from torture at any
time by asking. In that case he is
doomed to be q woman man, just as if he
had never offered himself as q candidate.
Those whom the writer saw persisted to
the last, one Of them, however, dying at
the pole. The body was removed with
put comment or grief to the tepee IN
WnlCn the yOutQ ndu llFeu. Every now
and then one of the dancers would give
IN extra tug in order 10 hasten the
break, but as rule they all kept up
round as mcnotonous as their song. The
fathers of the young men sat or stood
shout encouraging them by their glances
out not by words. One old chief, Two
Bears, bore the scars of a dozen battles.
His son was at the pole, the picture OF
nis parent in physique. and evidently
bent upon showing that parent that he
vas worthy to be warrior. There was
lot only an Indifference, but conscious
pride and grace in his movements, as he
,ircled about, and when at length the
muscles parted, and he was released,
he old chief gave the first and only
ign of his feelings in q gratifed "ugh!'
That such men should grow up to be
is not strange. -
IN VIEW OF THEIR EDUCATION, III
Ind the impatience which they show on
he reservations il but natural. The
routh of that period is now passed to
Middle age, and the experience of the
ndAAus who were then graduated as
braves has included the last really i'm
oortant stand of the red men against the