Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

dlsgraced II he does not choose to undergo
the test a. all, but so long as he refrains he is
not regarded as a man and is not admitted to
council with the warriors. II is the mystery
men who conduct these trials, in the capacity
Of board of examiners. The United
States government has done its best
to suppress the sun dances, for the reason that
the new-hedged warriors have very natural
desire to distinguish themselves, both for the
sake Of glory and in order to obtain decora-
tions which render them more attractive in
the eyes OF the young girls. To get such glory
and decorations they commit outrages and
make themselves impossible otherwise. To
make this understood, it must be explained
that the decorations which adorn Q European
Of distinction are not more easily read by q
person conversant with the system than are
the Indian who has done deeds worth record
ing.
INSIGNIA OF BRAVERY.
For example, If Q brave wears an eagles
feather with a snakes rattle fastened upon it's
tip it means that he is an expert horsethief-
the rattle IMPLYING stealth. A feather with
round red spot upon i. signifies that he has
been wounded by a bullet. II the feather has
no spot. but is split from the tip down, he has
feather has been cut off square near the tip,
band Of vermillion across the cut edge, the
warrior has cut the throat of an enemy.
Other deeds accomplished are recorded BY
other symbols. If you see an Indian wearing q
feather that has its quill part adorned with
beads or wrapped with red flannel. you know
tina. he has captured a woman. Surprising that
he has outraged and murdered her. the latter
crimes are greatly to his credit as a warrior,
and he is entitled TO wear special decorations
for them. From the Indians point of view
any wlckedness. however cowardiy. is a BRAY
cry. The man who steals pony from an In
dian, though the latter is a friend and of his
own tribe, Is entitled to assume a mark on his
body or property of a horses hoof. In case the
horse belonged to a white nan, the mark is q
little different. to indicate The iron shoe. When
brave kills foe in fight he does not neces-
sariy get credit for the deed. He may shoot
him with q rifle, but the glory accrues only to
the first four men who strike the fallen victim
With bow. gun or otherwise. The first OF the
four is entitled to a mark that is like an Y sig
nifying the stroke of the weapon across the
corpse, while the other three have earned dec
orations of the same character, with some slight
notifications.
HE TELLS OF HIS DEEDS.
If warrior desires to comment in council
upon his own feats of proves, he places a
round stick in the hand of a fellow-brave and
proceeds to relate his heroic performances
He tells how many horses he has stolen. how
many women he has murdered, how many chill
aren ne has scaiped, and SO on, the brave who
holds the stick applauding each exploit re-
counted with ordinations of How how ~
and the others joining in an echoing chorus
OF praise. The narrator would not dare claim
any glory to which he was not entitled, lest he
be hooted down as q liar. To the decorations
also the same proposition applies. As for the
stick, it represents a horse, and the vainglori-
GUS warrior Is bound to redeem it with pony
the next day. This is the price of the applause
obtained; it represents the purchase of a
'clacque" In Its most primitive form.
Speaking of symbols like the stick that means
fhfas 1hsfifr
these Indians is a most interesting study 1t
does not mean that their spoken vocabulary is
impoverished, but comes simply from the fact
that in the old days, when they roamed the
great plains of the west in pursuit of the buff
falo, men of many tribes met each other, and it
was easier to converse by gesture than to ac-
quire the various languages. Thus each tribe
came to have its sign designation. so that q
man might indicate of what nation he was by a
motion or two. If an Arapahoe wishes to iden-
tify himself he places fOrefinger alongside his
nose. On this account the people of that tribe
are called the ''Smellers." .Ihe sign of the
Crows is tapping of the arms like wings and
of the Pawnees or wolves two fingers
of each hand held up on either side OF
the head to represent ears. fore
finger wriggled forward with the
end held slightly up means the Shoshone or
Snake The same sign reversed, Tie finger
being wriggled backward, signifies the Com
anche, being intended to call to mind the trail
ing of the lariat. The Arikara are called the
"Corn Shelters" and make a sign with their
hands as of taking corn of the cob. By the
Pendoreilles sign of padding in a boat is
made. while the Nez Perccs pass forefnger
across the nose as il to pierce it through the
septum, and the Sioux draw the hand across
the throat The latter are otherwise known as
the Cut Threats" the name being supposed
to have been derived from n war with the Utes
good many years ago, during which they cut
of the heads OF every one OF their foes whom
they could kill or capture.
WHITE soRcERER.
DR.. W. J. Hoffman of the chronological bureau
is a sorcerer of the highest degree among the
Chippewas. having been initia.ed not long ago
into their Grand Medicine Lodge He is the
only white man who has ever been accorded a
similar distinction among the Indians. Some OF
the juggling fcats performed by him in his
capacity of a mystery man have excited the
establishment even of his fellow magicians
Among others Of his names he is known as the
''Man Who Sets Things Afre with Drop of
Water" This little trick DIR. Hoffman executes
very simply By touching mixture of powdered
chlorate of potash and sugar with drop OF
sulphuric acid. Water he also readily turns
into blood apparently by chemical means. and
other astonishing feats he does By processes
ready to the hand of the chemist and cleo
triciar. 1t is very fine to be a sorce-er. When
ever an Indian wants to kill an enemy. to
charm woman, to capture game or what not.
he applies to a mystery man for aid, paying for
it literally. Ia this way the sorcerer makes
such q good living that he doesn't care to join
the church.
Sorcery was at the bottom of the recent In
dian uprising and, SO long as the mystery men
retain their influence. they are likely to foment
troubles whenever they see any revenge or
other objects to be secured by arousing the
warlike spirit of the braves with trance revela-
tons and juggling tricks.