Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11

one thousand eight hundred and ninety
one the only recreation left them Is the
Omaha and a few such like dances Per
haps it was Just well that decidedly
paternal government, so far as the Indian
is concerned. should have put stop
~ such celebrations as the sun dance
exhibitions of that variety were brutal
in the extreme and inexpressibly de-
mOraliZing-but there is no really good rea-
SON Shy the On aha should be interdlcted-
few narrow-miuded blgOts, and q few other
people who know nothing OF the subject, have
eudeavor,d to influence the authorities IN favor
OF RbollsLIng tlis least harmful OF aboriginal
dances and thus take away the only innocent
amusement left those who, once owners OF the
continent are now being rounded up and
fenced in few scattered patches OF terri
tory 81 no particular value to anybody. Efforts
81 this Kind have 30 far had but little force
and no effect Providence for once seems
t. be with the Indian. OF the many
criticisms that have been fired at the
Omaha the most pointed is the one
Win IA has II that the more active participants
In the -iltatOry exercises wear but little cloth
Ing. That Is true. The human being-white
OF red CT Hack or any other cOlor-who starts
out e. dance for two or three hours IN the fun
glare 81 a red-hot midsummer sun or IN the
immediate vicinity Of a blazing log fire on
not chilly night would display ignorance as to
the fitness If things were he to load himself
down with blankets and buffalo overcoats: even
the ordinary dress suit of commerce. would be
burdensOule IN less than ten minutes
Two THINGS THE INDIAN LOVES.
Above AMI before all things the North Ameri-
can Indian loves personal comfort: next TO that
moyal Of all unnecessary clothing; the second
g. mauJ- paints and beads sand many bued pOr-
cUFiue quilts Between the Omaha dance OF
TIE Dakota and the fashionable ball there is
but oae main point Of difference; in the former
the men dI-J Law considerable of their anatomy;
H. the latter the physiological exhibit Is con-
trihutst hy the female The distinction
mas not lie too plainly apparent TO those whose
experience enables them TO institute COMPARE
sons. Residents Of those sections Of the United
States long since depOPulated Of Indians may
b.. more or less borrIfied by long-range
gltmIses % semI-nude Indians, but the
white ladies' whom duty OF necessity
have calico O. an existence on the frontier not
only gaze with pleasure upon the Omaha
dancers. but many of them will travel numer-
Gus miles % witness the show. Then they Will
watch the peTfo rmance from Alpha 20 Omega,
prai-ing the skill OF this artist admiring the
grace VI that ore. and going into ecstacies over
TIE muscular development Of another. appar-
emily n bl.s-ful ignorance of the fact that by
- doing they are giving a very close imitation
o. th1-e gentlemen who always have front seats
when variety show l. engaged IN preventing
the elevation Of the stage by holding the boards
down
Bat q small section Of the human race has
ever seen Omaha. and far as i know
there never one in Washington. In the
past dozen wears the dance has not changed
much IL - purely Indian institution that has
successfully resisted the deterioration which
ordinarily accompanies time. Omahas have not
been scarce Of late on the Pine Ridge reserya-
Con- There Is promise of fairly good crops
rstloas are not scarce. and just now the entire
Sioux nation seems 10 be contented with itself
and Its condition. The man who thinks whisky
Is q pansces DRINKS his chosen beverage when
be 3 hot 10 cOOl him and when he Is cold re-
peat- the dose that lie may be warm; the Indian
dances when he Is miserable. when be is war
Ike. when he is peaeeably inclined or when in
search " LappiLess.