The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-12-02
PuEeLo,s CORN DANCE.
1he Untirins Movement of h In
dinns for Seven Long Hours.

Tbe UntirinE Movement of the In
dinns for Seven Long Hours.
The men dancers have punches of
green and yellow parrot feathers fast
med to the top of their waving raven
hair, while around their necks are
strings of beads made Of shells, feldspar
and turquoise. The bodies are nude
to the waist and r painted with a
blue-white clay, sometimes merely
in crude spots, while the legs and arms
are frequently striped with the same
OF & different tone. Al, und the loins
the Zuni or Marqui woven breech cloth,
embroidered in red and black, is held
in place by a white cotton girdle or
sash, ending in balls and long strings,
waving with every movement.
Below the knee masses of brilliant
colored wool are knotted; over various
colored and beaded moccasins are ank-
let's Of white and black skunk or goat
fur, and, hanging from the belt be-
hind, a fox skin, with the tail down
ward. Under broad armlets of tinted
buckskin r sprigs of cedar; a bunch
of the same is held: in the left hand,
while the right shakes a gourd rattle
at every change of posture.
The dress of the women Is a square
Of heavy dark-blue wool, drawn over
one shoulder and under the other, ex-
posing part of the breast, while the
sides are held together by O~rnalnented
silver pins. A long woven cOlored sash
is wound around the waist. The legs
are bare and notably fine; the feet
small and beautifully formed. Their
head-dress is decidedly peculiar. 1t is
made of an eblong piece of board or
dried buffalo hide, notched at the top,
with a T-shaped piece resembling the
''Tau," the emblem of life Of the an
Gent Egyptians, cut out of the center.
1t is painted a light green, with red
and yellow stripes and symbolic figures;
on the sides and points are fccks Of
white eagles down.
The lower part is followed out to
fit the head, and is held in place by
thongs of buckskin fastened under the
hair. Immense strings of shell and
coral beads encircle the women's necks,
and big Navajo silver rings or a crude
turquoise hang rs a pendants. Many
silver and copper bracelets dangle at
their wrists as they wave the branches
Of evergreen from side to side in uni
son with the steps. Rich vermillion
covers their cheeks and heightens their
savage beauty. They are modest in de-
meanor, gracefully naive in movement,
and rarely take their eyes Off the ground
during the dance.
The dancing was kept up for seven
long hours, but there vas never any
shrinking; they stamped as energetical-
ly the last hour as the first. Any sign
of fatigue would be met with renewed
vigor Of the chanting chorus, while the
drummer would reverse his drum and
thump harder OH the other head. The
chorus huddled closer together, gesticu-
lating seriously with their hands, us
though to emphasize the meaning of
their songs.
At shutdown they all solemnly filed
into the church yard and kneeled down
while the image Of the saint was car
ried inside. A volley from the guns,
then the INDIAN character asserted it.
self in Il wild ace of men and women
to the estufa, where they INDUCED in
their refreshments of the :lay. Feast
ing was kept up far into the night,
as were bonfires throughout the pueblo
and OH the church towers and walls.