Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-01

| the selection OF drummer IS matter Of
considerable importance, and that func
tionary IS held in corresponding estima-
ton. He sings of the game on the NOR.
row, of the fine things to be won by the
men of his party. of the joy with which
they will be received by their friends on
their return from the field, and of the dis
appointment and defeat of their rivals
Throughout it all the women keep up the
same minor refrain, like an instrumental
accompaniment to vocal music.
As Cherokee songs are always in the
minor key they have plaintlye effect, even
when the sentiment is cheerful or even
boisterous and calculated to excite the mirth
of one who understands the language
This impression is heightened by the APP
pearance of the dancers themselves, for
the women shuttle solemnly back and forth
all night long without ever a smile upon
their faces, while the occasional laughter
Of the men seems half subdued, with none
of the hearty, ringing tones of the white
man or negro. The monetonous repetition,
too, is something intolerable to any one
but an Indian, the same words to the same
tune being sometimes sung over and over
again for half-hour or more. Although
the singer improvises as he proceeds, many
of the expressions have now become stereo-
typed, ard are used at almost every ball
play dance.
At sunrise the players, dressed now in
their ordinary clothes, but carrying their
ball sticks in their hands, start for the ball
ground, accompanied by the shamans and
their assistants. The place selected for the
game being always about midway between
the two rival settlements, was in this case
several miles above the dance ground and
on the opposite side of the river. On the
march each party makes four several halts,
when each player again "goes to water
separately with the shaman. This occu-
pies considerable time, so that it is usually
afternoon before the Two parties meet on
the ball ground.
On coming up from the water after the
fourth halt the principal shaman assem-
bles the players around him and delivers
an animated harangue, exhorting them to
do their utmost in the coming contest, tell
ing them that they will undoubtedly be
victorious, as the omens are all favorable,
picturing to their delighted vision the
stakes to be won ana the ovation awaiting
them from their friends after the game,
and finally assuring them, in the mystic
terms of the formulas, that their adverse
ries will be driven through the four gaps
into the gloomy shadows of the darkening
land, where they will perish forever from
remembrance. The address, delivered in
rapid, jerky tones, like the speech of an
auctioneer, has a very inspiring effect upon
his hearers, and is frequently interrupted
by burst of exultant yells from the play
ers. AT the end, with another chorus OF
yells, they again take up the march.
On coming near the ball ground the sha-
man marks off small space upon the
ground to represent the ball field, and tax
ing in his hand small bundle of sharp
ened sticks about one foot in length adj
dresses each man in turn, telling him the
position which he is to occupy in the field
at the tossing up of the ball after the first
inning, and driving down a stake to repre-
sent each player until he has a diagram
Of the whole field spread out upon the
ground.
The players then strip for the ordeal Of
scratching. The painful operation is per-
formed by an assistant, in this case by an
old man named Standing Water The in
strument Of torture is called kdnuga, and
resembles a short comb with seven teeth
seven being also a sacred number with the
Cherokees. The teeth are made from
sharpened splinters from the leg bone Of
a turkey, and are fixed in frame made
from the shaft of a turkey quill in such a
manner that by the slight pressure of the
thumb they can be pushed out to the
length of a small tack. Why the bone and
feather of the turkey should be selected
have not yet learned, but there is undoubt.
edly an Indian reason for the choice.
The players having stripped, the oper,
ator begins with the first and, Selling his
arm with one hand while holding the
kanuqd in the other, he plunges the teeth
into the flesh at the shoulder and brings
the instrument down with a steady press
ure to the elbow, leaving seven white
lines, which become red moment later as
the blood starts to the surface. He now
plunges the kanuga in again at another
place near the shoulder, and again brings
it down to the elbow. Again and again
the operation is repeated until the victims
arm is scratched in twenty-eight lines from
the shoulder to the elbow 1t will be no.
ticed that twenty-eight is combination oil
four and seven, the two sacred numbers OF
the Cherokees. The operator then makes
the same number of scratches in the same
manner on the arm below the elbow. Next
the other arm is treated in the same way,
then each leg, both above and below the
knee, and finally an Y is scratched across
the breast of the sufferer, the upper ends
are Joined by another stroke from shoulder
to shoulder, and a similar pattern is
scratched upon his back. By this time the
blood is trickling in little streams from
nearly 800 gashes. None of the scratches
are deep, but they are unquestionably very
the operation. Nevertheless, the young
men endure the ordeal willingly and al
most cheerfully, regarding it as a necessary
part of the ritual to obtain success in the
game. The shaman then gives to each
player small piece of root to which he
has impaired magic properties by the re-
cital of certain secret formulas. Various
roots are used, according to the whim OF
the shaman, their virtue depending en-
tirely upon the ceremony of conservation
The men chew these roots and spit out the
juice over their limbs and bodies, rubbing
! it well into the scratches, then, going down
to the water, plunge in and wash off the
blood, after which they come out and dress
themselves for the game.
The modern Cherokee ball costume con-
sists simply of pair of short trunks orna-
mented with various patterns in red OF
blue cloth, and feather charm worn upon
the head. Formerly the breech-clOth
alone was worn, as is still the case in some
instances. The charm worn in the hair is
made up of eagles feathers, to give keen.
ness of sight; deer tail, to give swiftness
and snakes rattle, to render the wearer
terrible to his adversaries. If an eagles
feather cannot be procured, those of a
hawk or any other swift bird of prey are
used.
The background is level field by the
riverside with the high, timber-covered
mountains all around. At either end are
the goals, each consisting of a pair of up
right poles between which the ball must
be driven to make run, the side which
first makes twelve runs being declared the
winner of the game and the stakes. After
the first throwing up of the ball it must be
picked up only with the ball sticks, not
with the hand, although after having
picked up the ball with the sticks the
player frequently takes it in his hands,
and throwing away the sticks, runs with it
! I