Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-07-03

eoAhplS1ClJ dipuuu Jueu SJOp lOI
few minutes and rest, then start up
again. At each new start they sing a
different chant and so the dance goes
on till midnight, when, with a loud
clapping of hands, they break ranks
and go come. During all this time
two or three chiefs or medicine men
moved around outside Of the circle
preserving order and repremanding
any merriment or hilarlty, Chief Ko-
ara explained that this was a reli-
.gious dance and that due solemnity
must be observed.
The dance being over Surahm, Koa-
ra and the head medicine man, Pay
quiya, gave us little insight into
the object, etc, of thesa ceremonies.
They said: "We believe in the exist
tence of a powerful deity, who will
come upon the earth some time with
IN the next three or four years in the
form Of an Indian. This being is call
ed in the Piute language Nota Win
nup, and this name has been adopted
by other tribes. When Nota Winnup
comes all Indians who have died in
the ages that are gone will be resorted
to life and perpetual youth. Those
who are now old, sick or lame will also
be restored. Simultaneously will
reappear the game that has existed in
past ages, while the white people and
all other races except the American
Indian will perish. On the Indian who
dares to entertain or express a doubt
of the truth of these things, the med
icine man threatens to bring the most
dire and fatal punishments. Each
dance Is ordared by Nota Winnup.
who appears TO the medicine men on
the fifth night of each dance and tells
them when to hold the next and other
things he wishes his people to know.
Each dance lasts five nights and the
last night we dance until morning.
Just before daylight the medicine.men
go on top of the little butte and talk
With The Nota Winnup, and upou re-
turning report his sayings to the peo-
pie. We do not intend any violence
towards the whites, we want to live
peacefully with them until the Mess
iah comes, and then we cannot keep
them from being destroyed if we
wish.
The next dance will be at Wallapai
mountains and will begin on the 1Ith
of June. Then there will be another
one here on the 1st of July. Tell the
white people that this is our religion
and we believe it. They have their
religion and they have right to be-
lieyc theirs.
We will dance till Nota Winnup
comes, but we are not angry; we want
to be friends with the whites.
By special request the medicine man
repeated slowly the words of one of
the chants so we could take it down.
The chants areall in :Pah Ute, and
this one is as follows:
Pan con da won ban da,
Pah ka won ba,
Pah con da WON ban da,
Pah ka WON ba,
A no VIC yae, pah con doy,
A no We yae pah con doy;
Hong go de yae, hong 20 doy,
Hong go de vac, hong go doy,
A few of the younger and more pro-
gressiye Indians refuse to believe i'm
these prohesies or to take any,part in
the dances. Conspicuous among these
are Beechet and Wallapai Charley
Wether the medicine men will dare
persecute these or not remains to be
seen.
Your correspondent returns thanks
to Chiefs Surahm and Knara and their
dusky subjects for their hospitality:
and to say we enjoyed the dance very
much only partially expresses our SEN
timents.