St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-27
TWO INDIAN SCENES.


1As Baaeksose Csnsssry a.a the Festival
% the Sun Dance.
Presently, - We journeyed, . little
line Of sand hills came into view. They
formed the Blackfoot cemetery. We
saw tho 'tepees Of the dead" here and
there on the knolls. some new and per.
feet some old and weather-stained.
some showing mere tatters Of cotton
tapping on tho poles. and still others
only skeleton tents. the poles remain
ing and the cotton covering gone COM
pletely. We knew what we would see
II we looked into those dead tepees"
(being careful to approach from
the windward s,de). We would see.
lying ON the ground or raised
upon . framework, . bundle that
would be narrow at top and bottom and
broad in the middle-an Indians body
rolled mp In . sheet Of cotton. with his
best bead.work and blanket and gun In
the bundle, and near BY kettle and
some dried meat and corn-meal against
his feeling hungry on his long journey
TO the hereafter. Al one or two Of tho
tepees were new. We expected TO eco
some family in mourning. and, sure
enough, when we reached the great
sheer-sided gutter which the Bow river
has dug for its course through the
plains, we halted our horse and looked
down upon q lonely trio Of tepees. with
children playing around. them and
women squatted by the entrances.
Three families had lost members, and
were sequestered there In sbject sur
render 70 grief.
Those tents of the mourners were 1t
our feet - We rode southward. down
the riversgully, where the grass was
green and the trees were leafy and
thriving: but when we turned our faces
to the eastward. where the river bent
around . great promontory, what .
sight met our gaze! There stood . city
Of tepees, hundreds Of them. allowing
white, and yellow. and brown. and red
against the clear blue sky. A silent
and lifeless city It seemed. for We were
too far OF to see the people or to hear
their noises. The great huddle Of lit
tie pyramids rose abruptly from the
level bare grass against the dawless
sky, not like one Of those melancholy.
aew. trceless towns that white men are
building all over the prairie, but rather
like q mosquito feet becalmed at
sea. There are two camps on the
Blackfoot reserve. the North camp and
the South camp. and this town Of tents
was between the two. and was composed
Of more households than both TO-
Qether; for this was the assembling for
the sun dance. their greatest religious
festival. and hither had come Rloods,
Piegans. and Sarcis as well a. Black
feet Only the mourners kept away:
for here were to be echoed the greatest
ccremonials of that dead past wherein
lives dedicated TO war and TO the chase
inspired the deeds of valor which each
would now celebrate anew in speech or
song. And at each recurrence Of this
wonderful holidsy-time every night was
spent in feasting. gorging and gam
bling. In short il was the great event
of the Indian year. and 50 IL remaina
Even now you may see the young
braves undergo the torture; and II you
may not see the faithless wives dis
ciplined. you may at least perceive .
score who have been, n we'll - hear
the mighty boasting. and witness the
dancing. gaming and carousing. Julian
Ralph, in Harpers Magazine.