New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
THE INDIAN SITUATION.
GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL'S VIEW OF TT.


HE is AN ADOPTED SON OF ONE OF THEIR
CHIEFS AND SPENDS MUCH TINE
AMONG THEM.
George Bird Grinnell, of the editors Of "Forest
and Stcamn who has spent several months among the
indians Of the Northwest every year for twenty years.
has inst returned to NewYork after spending three
months among them. lie tells an interesting story Of
thc spread of religious fervor among the Indians, and
relates incidents that under his personal obser
walton which throw much light upon the situation In
the Northwest. Mr.. Grinnell is himself member OF
the Blackfeet tribe Of Indians having been adopted as
son, nearly score of years ago. by Four Bears,
noted chief Of the Pekunny band Of Bacfeet Several
sPawnce Hero Tales and Folklore His recent
visit 10 the Northwest for the purpose Of gather
ing material for another book.
Mr. rinnen, who appears to be under forty years OF
sce is swarthy, tall, wry and refined looking with
percng eyes and extremely black hair lie possesses
The Indian name of Pinutu-y eistsin-okan, which,
translated from the Blackfeet language literally means
A CAP made out of the skin of fisher" or, shortly
spoken, "A fisher cap" Speaking OF his obsefVa
lions Mr. Grinnel said that he did not believe there
would be a general uprising among the indians be-
cause of the rapidly spreading belief among them OF
the coming Of the Messiah, but he was apprehenslve
tint some indiscretion the part Of the soldiers or
81 spent several days" said he "at Fort Kehoe,
living In a camp Of Cheyenne scouts employed by the
Government. While there saw and talked with TWO
of the principal chiefs Of the Northern Cheyenne trbe
Two Moons. the war chief and White Bull, the peace
chief Both OF these chiefs talked with me very
freely about the spread Of the religious superstition
among the Indians concerning the new Messiah. Both
Of them felt very badly because they thought that the
excitement might lead to outbreak. They told
mo- what had already known, that this supposed
Messiah had predicted some special things to come on
I'm September, and when they failed TO happen the
Northern Cheyennes lost faith in the new doctrine
But shortly after the failure of the prophecies lot OF
shoshones and Arapahoes came from Fort
washak to visit the Cheyenne agency, and when they
got 10 the Cheyenne camp they reported That While
travelling along on the prairie they had met With a
lot Of Indians who had dead thirty forty years.
and who had been resurrected by the Messiah since
their resurrection the formerly dead Indians so tho
visitors sad had been going about Just like the other
Indians who had never died.
STARTING TO DANCE.
"This started up the excitment again, and all the
Indians at the agency began to dance TWO Moons
and White Bear all the more alarmed because OF
the trouble that the Northern Cheyenncs had had last
spring That trouble shows trait peculiar TO the
Indian character. Two white men had been killed,
one Of them by no one knew whom, but four or
five Indians were arrested suspicion, were kept in
fail for several months, and were then released, not
O particle of evidence having been offered against
them. The other whine man was killed by two young
men Of the Cheyenne tribe This one was settler
who had gone out In search of a lot Of mich COWS.
The Indian boys out hunting and of them step
ping quickly from behind the bushes, frightened the
cows The settler angry and hit the Indian boy with
D rope. The young fellow went away and talked
with his companion, and both turned toward the
settler whose attitude menacing The second
young Indian raised his rife and shot the settler
TT boc old kp,ar
can Horse, their chief. what they had done. They
did not want to be imprisoned and hanged but they
knew that they would have to die, and preferred to die
like warriors. So they told American Horse to send
word to the troops and the Indian police that they
had fed TO hill four five miles sway, and could
be captured there.
sThe boys themselves In their best clothes
l<.aubod themselves with paint, and mounting
their horses rode to the hill they had named. The
trocps and the Indian police told and started
out TO capture the boys Half mile from the
hill the boys standing by their horses
As soon as they saw the troops they mounted their
horses and charged, two boys against hundred
men. When within range of 200 yards
the troops opened fire, but the boys pressed
on, charged clear through the troops unhurt
and succeeded in getting quarter of a mile beyond
their enemies, when they turned and charged again
time.
This irritated the Cheyennes, for they are the
bravest Of men, Indians or white You see if people
believe that they going to be resurrected three
weeks from tomorrow they don't mind dying very
much. The Cheyennes confoundedy brave, any
way that this belief makes them all the more
dangerous and reckless The Chcyennes have not
been treated well il is. They have lard
ceptng the hill-tops, the best land having been
settled upon by the whites before the reservation
opened for settlement. Nothing will grow upon the
Cheyenne lands without irrigation STILL d. net think
that the Cheyennes will so into organized revolt
some crazy officer Of the troops some hot healed
settler who may become frightened may kill an Indian
two. and then the younger bucks may start in to
yet revenge. In this way, and in this way alone.
believe, a general outbreak may be precpita;ed.
%" never heard Of the dance OF the Indians called the
Ghost Dance until returned TO the East. In the
indian country it is known as the Dance to Christ
The Southern Cheyennes and the Southern ArapahOes
we're among those by whom it danced. The
Indians believe that the more they dance the sooner
he Christ will The dance usually lasts for
our nights, beginning a little before shutdown and
until any hour the next morning The
Indians, men, women and children form an open
circle, probably 100 feet in diameter, the women
sttng in the front row of the circle and the men
standing shoulder to shoulder close together. outside
All, Of course, face inward. Several men
AXE their places in the circle and start
he dance by singing a song in the Arapahoe
tongue. The men the outside Of The
circle, and those within it move slowly TO the left,
Dne foot at time, keeping In unison with the music
The scene is extremely weird when the moon is up.
The rapt and determined faces Of the Indians show
how earnest they The hoarse. deep voices OF the
men and the shrler notes OF the women mingle in
kind Of rude harmony.
HOW THE CIRCLE MOVES.
AT intervals Of few notes particular emphasis is
given, and the note emphasized is the signal to
around quaint shadows playing on the turf both In ana
out OF the circle OF the dance. Frequently few OF
those In the outer ring of the circle step within 10
Dance while those within take the vacant places In the
outer circle. The Indians dance with their heads ana
bodies well their feet and as they 90 bobbihg
around they present grotesque appearance. Even
the Cheyennes sing the music of the Dance 10 Christ
h1.n LeL