, 1891-07-12
AN INDIAN SUN DANCE.
The Shoshones and the Rap Indulge
in a Lively One.
Peculiar Sights Witnessed on the
Reservation.
The Indian Soldier Idea Seems to
be a Perfect Success.

EAsSlsNdul uuaoltl W
Yesterday from Fort Washakie where he
has been to pay off the troops stationed at
the post. While at the reservation he
witnessed a sun dance participated in by
the young bucks of the Arapahoe and
| Shoshone tribes OF Indians and describes
if as a sight never to be FORGOTTEN. The
Indians are very secret about their preps.
ratious for the dance and the time it will
begin is never known bv outsiders until
they are seen commencing to haul the
boughs aud brush with which to bnild the
big medicine lodge. Mr.. Willard hap
pened 10 be at the post at the right time
and gives a graphic description OF the
dance.
The medicine lodge where the dance is
held is a large affair capable of holding
any number of Indians who are eligible to
be admitted to the sacred precincts. The
medicine men are the masters of the cere-
mony and after everything is ready the
dance does not commence until the chief
medicine maker is seized with an inspira-
ton and jumps into the ring. Then he is
followed by the dancers whU continue the
wild. weird dance until they fall from ex-
haustion.
The chief medicine man. named
Awonewishts, had his nose painted black
and his checks a bright red and his naked
body painted in all sorts of erotes1ue
designs in a variety OF %collors. The rest
of the dancers. about 100 in number,
were painted in a similar fashion and
looked like 50 many yelling devils.
The dancers pride themselves on going
without food during the festivities and as
the dancing is unceasing they become
completely exhausted about the second
day aud are then revived by strong med
icine. When a dancer falls to the ground
he is pulled out Of the ring aud the med
Icine man goes to work upon him. He
howls around the senseless form only
stopping now and then TO brush the
patients face and feet with sprigs of
some green plant. Finally, when the in
carnations are exhausted the Indian is
left to recover by himself. After awhile
he jumps up, apparently as fresh as ever.
and goes back to the dance.
Mr. Willard describes the painting of
/ the Indians as very amusing. The tribes
have seven medicine men and they are
the artists who decorate their followers.
About 100 Indians were sitting along in a
line on their launches when the big
medicine man commenced work at one
end Of the line. He would paint one
particular part of the person one color and
would be followed by his subordinates,
each of whom had a different colored
paint and would paint a different portion
of the BODY and in that manner all the
dancers were decorated to a most extra
ordinary degree.
A singular fact was that four young
bucks, who we're educated at an Indian
school in Nebraska, took a prominent
part in the savage dance and we're the
widest ofthe lot. They are members of
the Indian company stationed at the post.
but ran off the night the dance COM
menced aud took part.
A company of lndi n troops, enlisted
on the reservation, is stationed at the post
and Is under the command of Capt. Ray,
who has them under very good ~dicipline.
The company is made up of the educated
young bucks and their captain thinks
that they will make excellent soldiers, as
they never intentionally break an army
regulation aud have been taught to keep
their persons and uniforms in a clean con.
dition. They learn fairly well and Iemem-
Der what they learn. Some of their
names, however, are cookers" and the
hardest part of the job of paying them is
to listen to their names as the captain
GALES to them to step forward. When
their names are called Young-Man-W Who
Plays a-Game-W bile His Father is-Out-
in he-Woods, or Tight Pants or Liar will
step forward and receive his money. The
Indian soldier gets the regular nav. SI3 a