The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-08-01
tHe SIOUX
Ono OF thc Moot .Cur.ous CuStonas u I
Warlik, Iadlan Tribe.


fHE SIOUX GUIDANCE.
Ono Of thc Moot car.ous customs u :
Warlik, lndian Tribe.
Lieutenant Echwatka contributes 10
tho Century Q curious custom Ut tho
Sioux. From this article VIC quote tho
following: "Nhcn all had assembled
and the medicine-mcn had SGT the datc
for tho beginning Of tho great dance
dedicated to tho avn. tho ssuM-p0lc' wi:
selected. A handsome young pine or ilr,
forty or fifty feet high, with t:iestrnieht-
est and most uniformly sapcring trunk
that could hc found within q reasonable
distance, WIS chosen. Tho salcction 10
always made by some CID woman, gen
orally the Oldest ono in tho camp, II
thcro is any wny OF determining, who
leads a number. of maidcns gayly
dressed in tho beautiful bco1eA buck
si:in gowns they wear on state occa-
eions; the part OF tho naidcns III TO strip
the tree of its limbs cs high as possible
without telling it. Woo Is tho girl who
cl;iins to be q maiden and joins tho pro
ccss,cn the cll sluaw forms, as.in3.
whose claims any reputable warrior OF
sluaw may publicly proclaim. hsr pun
ish'nent is swift and sure, and her deg
raaa:ion moro cruel than interesting.
1.-The SELECTION of the tree IL tho only
special feature of the first days cclcbra-
ton. After it has boon stripped Of its
branches nearly to tho top. tho brush-
WOOL and trees fer q considerable dis
t.nov ;.bou: 1t arc removed, and 4. is
l:ft staining for the ceremony Of the
second day.
Long bctoro sunrise the eager par
ticipants in the ncxt great step were
preparing themselves for tho ordeal:
and q quarter of an hour hoforc tho sun
rose above the broken hills Of white
clay u long line Of naked young warri-
Ors l., gorgeous war-pnlnt and feathers.
witt. rillcs. bows and ar1o-.;, and war
lances in haad, faced tho cast and
the sun-pelc, which was from five to
six huaircd yards away. Ordinarily
Ibis group of warriors numbers from
ii:ty to possibly tws, hundred rlcn. An
Interpreter roar ,ac estimated the limo ]
be!ic!I as from a thousand to twelve
hundred strong. Not fur away, on q
HIGH hill overlooking tho. bsrharic
s:cAc. was an old warrior. a medicine
la.a of the tribe, I think, whose solemn
erty it was to announce by o shout that
could ~ heard BY every n Of the CO.
pe:.= tl,rong tho exact moment when
tho .in OF tho morning appeared
abe che eastern hills. Perfect quiet
rested upon tho limo OF young warriors
ani upon the greet throng of savage
spectators that blacl.2d tho gre TN hills
overlooking the arena. Suddenly the
oil warricr, vino had bean knceliny on
7 linoc, with his extended palm shad-
in.- his ssraygy eyebrows, arose 10 his
FUN height. and in o slow. disnifca
mann VI waved his blan,lctad aria above
l.is head. Tho few warriors WHO worc
still u~n'uonntcl now jumped Aurriedlyy
upon their l~ronics; the broken. watering
line rapidly took On o more regular ac-
pcarr...r: and then the old ,aaa, who
had ..lcred himself for tho great of
Tort. hurled forth a ynll that could be
heard to tho uttcrrnost limits Of thc
;..-ast .h.>na. The morning sun had
sent Its commands to its warriors On
earth to change.
Tho s1out from the hill was re-
echoed Ivy the thomanl mon in tho vel
leg: it w;s caught up by the spectators
On tic li:.sls IS tho long. limo of warriors
hi:rlcl Themselves forward towards thu
s9n-rclc. tho objective psint Of every
arr:.ca ALL naked savage i'll tho yelling
!iao. As th"y %convcrgcd towards 1T the
silver Tcnies dropped out and tho
weak. + cn.s were crushed to tho rear.
Nearer a:d ncarc: lhay came. the long
limo becoming massed unit! i. was l,ut a
su::gi::g crowd of plugging horses and
yelling. .scst;cul.tins rilors. When :ae
l"asliag warriors had reached. u ,,oia.
within 81 hundred yards of the sun-rolc
q sharp report of rifles sounded along
the line, ard a moment later tn, rr:ih-
Ing rlass was e sheet Of flarne. and.t!hc
rattie-sliot.i was like the rapid beat o. {.
dram resembling among the hills.
Evcry SHIT. evory arrow ana every leaca.
was directed at the pole, ard turl: and
chips wcrc flying from Its SIDES lilse
shasings from the rotary bit of q rlancr.
When every bullet had been discharged
and every arrow and lance had boon
harlcd tho riders crowded around tho
poll. nd shouted as only excited sava.cs
CAN iEout.
"i1ad it eailcn in this onslaught aioth-
or polo would have been chosen and an
other morning devoted to this p.rform-
anco. Though this seldom happens, it
was though. that the numerous assail-
ants of this pole might bring 4. to tho
ground. They did not, however, al
though it locked like o ragged scare
crow, with chips and bark hanging from
its muti'ated sides. :.
THAT such q vast, tumultnous tllrong
could escape accident in all that wild
charging. firing of shots, hurting Of
lances and arrows AM great excitement
would be bordering ona miracle, and no
miracle happened. One of the great
warriors was tramplcd upon in tho
charge and died late that evening. and
another Imlian was shot. The bruises.
sprains and cuts that might have boon
spoken of in lesser affairs were here un-
noticed. and nothing was heard of them"
BEAUTY At BILLIARDS.
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