St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-19
THE SUN DANCE.
Interesting Description of 1t by a
Correspondent.

Interesting Description of 1t by
Correspondent.
Special to the Globe.
HAVRE, Mont, June ia party of
Cree Indians. of eighty lodges, under
Nah-touche, who have had their camp
near this town for three or four months,
last evening closed three days sun
dance, which was largely attended by
the citizens of this town and also a
large contingent of soldiers from Fort
A SSineboine, and party of Blackfeet
Indians. The dance was held in large
circular wigwam. having diameter of
about fifty feet, on one side of which
wicker fence had been put up, about
four feet high, closely interviewer with
green boughS, so as to form screen.
Behind this screen, the fantastic,
painted performers, numbering about
two dozen of both sexes, recliEed upon
the ground, waiting to be called into
the center area by the mas
ter of ceremonies TO commence
the performance. which was to
test the fOrtitude and endurance
of the young men competing for the
prizes, which consisted of a pony, thirty
or forty pieces of calico of ali coIorS,
with brilliant hues predominating, and
several pounds of smoking tobacco, to
gether with numerous small trinketS.
A OF their movements during the per-
Torrance were regulated by the musical
band, consisting of twenty-fOur per-
formers of both sexes, some beating on
t0m-tums, keeping time to the voices,
and the piping upon whistles held be-
tween the teeth, and which gave forth
sharp staccato sounds. very nearly in
the key OF the small boys goose Quill
whistle which was in vogue fifty years
ago. These whistles were Ornamented
with colored quill work, and some had
at the extremity brIght-cOlOred fluffy
feather that futtered when the pipe
was blown.
Each of the competing dancers had
one of these pipes i'll his mouth upon
which he kept up a tOot, even while
undergoing the extreme fortunes of the
sun dance.
The audience which was motley one,
standing mostly outside on one side of
the wigwam where the covering had
been removed, were first Treated to an
"overture' and dance in which the COM
petihg young men Joined in the dance
behind the screen, only the heads and
shoulders appearing as they bobbed up
and down in the rythmic cadence, all
blowing their whistles until they were
out of breath. After this performance
came the dog feast, for which two fat
dogs had been slaughtered just outside
the tent in the presence of the Specta-
tors. One of these animals was ali En-
gliSh bull dog, belonging TO the pr0prie-
tor of the Windsor hotel. and which was
a great favUrite in town. Old Joe had
been stolen hy a man who had 4 grudge
against the landlord and given to the
Indians.
The feast was interrupted by the
iraIe landlord, accompanied by officer,
armed with warrant for the arrest Of
the thief and the recovery of his canine
friend, but alas they found the poor
brute was largely filling vacancies in
the stomachS of the hungry aG0riglnes,
but the thief was taken in charge and
now must stand trial before jury of
his peers.
The principal performance was then
given, which was begun by the taking
ND between the fingers a part of the
flesh Of the breast of the performer and
then thrusting knife through and in
Serting a wooden SkeWer in the slit
which projected on each side, and to
this skewer was attached a small rope
fastened to the top of the center pole of
the Wigwam. In this position the young
buck danced back and forth, keeping
time with his whistle, accom-
panied by the tOm-tOms and
others of the performers, until
he fell from eXhaustatiOn, bleeding
profusely from his wounds. One of
them swung himself around and SO far
out that the Skewer tore out the flesh,
and he fell to the ground fainting from
loss of blood and exhaustation.
AS these Indians belong TO the DOM
inion of Canada. and therefore are not
under the control of our government.
no official notice is taken of these bar
barrie and cruel rites; but the dictates of
humanity call for interference that will
prohibit these exhibitions that have
tendency to corrupt the moral SEN
sibilitieS of our youth. G. w. S.