The Portland daily press., 1894-06-05
New York Times.l

Sioux in South Brooklyn.
New York Times.1
Tasinawakan, otherwise Holy Blanket,
niece of Little Wound,t the Sioux Chief
who led the hostile Indians against the
| United States troops in the battle of
| Wounded Knee, was married yesterday
| noon at Buffalo Bill's" Wild West en-
campment in South Brooklyn, to Mato-
waungata, or High Bear, with ceremon-
| les half Indian and half Christian.
Uia Mato, or Rocky Bear, the chief
| counselor of the camp, and Maza
| Balaska, or Flat Iron, were masters of
| ceremony for the Indians. while the
Rev. DR.. John E. Lloyd of the Twelfth
Street Dutch Reform Church officiated
| at the Christian services. 1t was a
strange blending of paganism and bar
barity with civilization.
The Indians were busy all the morn
| ing making preparations for the cere-
mony. The braves and squaws smeared
| their faces with paints of all colors.
Even the children were painted in colors
| appropriate to the occasion. Little Seven
| Up looked gay with red and yellow
streaks and yellow suit.
| About II O'Clock Flat Iron, who is the
camp crier, began to chant weird Sioux
refrain, calling the tribe to make ready
| for the wedding. One by one the bucks
and squaWs emerged from their tepees,
wrapped in great blue flannel blankets,
| and took positions in front of their
| queer domiciles. They remained silent,
reclining against the tepees. until Flat
Iron had concluded his chant. They
| then formed in groups and stood around
| apparently discussing the matter very
| gravely
Flat IRONS face was painted deep red,
| so that he looked at distance like an
angry sunset. But it was wreathed in
smiles, as if the part he had to perform
gave him genuine pleasure. He Rugged
himself in huge blue blanket. AT a
| signal from him the bucks and squaws
and the children marched in solemn pro-
| cession to a space in the rear of the
tepees, where they lined up on one SIDE
! High Bear then strobe up and took a
| position some distance from them. His
| face was painted red and yellow. He
| struck an attitude, with arms crossed
and waited for his bride.
Holy Blanket was led from her tepee
| by Rocky Bear, who escorted her to a
SIOup VI SluStTS anu GOul-bOm players III
| the centre of the assembled Indians
Then, walking between Rocky Bear and
Flat Iron, and followed by the tri be, she
advanced toward the bridegroom. At
| the same time the singers began a weird
wedding chant and the tom-tom players
beat their tom-toms. When they reached
High. Bear, they stopped, and Holy
| Blanket stepped up to him. He received
her with apparent indifference.
| Holy Blanket presented strange ap-
pearance for bride Her face was COW
cred with thick yellow paint, and she
| wore a bright red dress spotted with
| white moons. This was partly concealed
under heavy blue blanket similar to
| those about her.
| Rocky Bear then advanced and an
nounced through George Shaughran that
| in accordance with Indian custom, he
| would give each of the singers SO. He
! said that if he was in the West he would
| give them horses, but ne had none with
| him.
While Rocky Bear was speaking DR..
| Lloyd appeared and walked over to the
| bridal couple. Col. Cody who was pres
| emit, gave the bride away, and DR.. Lloyd
| then with uncovered head, read tire
| Episcopal marriage service. During this
| part of the ceremony tine bride stood
with her head bowed, and all the Indians
| kept silent. DR.. LLOYD pronounced the
| COuplC ludu anu WllC duu ClOSGu UQ6 ser
| vice with benediction. He then re-
| tired.
Rocky Bear then turned to those as
| sem bled and made a speech. "If you
| publish this marriage, he said, cit will
| show our people in the West that we are
| following the example of the white man
and that we are adopting his religion.
our marriages performed by Christian
ministers. We believe it will put us
| high in the estimation of the Great
| Spirit We have learned great deal
since we left our homes in the West and
we believe that if we follow Christian
customs we will be able to have good
| homes and many ponies"
| The Christian ceremony over the In
| dians resumed their native rites. The
| tom-tom players ard the singers gath
cred in circle and the women sang a
| Sioux love song keeping time with their
hands and feet. Then the bucks. Joined
in and in moment they were dancing
the Omaha or war dance. They danced
in circles ir and out taking short steps
and hopping on one foot. Then they
would jump up and down and beat the
| ground viciously with their heels. The
| children seemed particularly delighted
with this exercise. All the while the
! tom-toms kept up their monotonous
| beating.
| uc pIluol Couplc Ulu HOT parGlC1pnGe
in this. They had retired to High
Bears tepee.
| Suddenly the dance ceased and the
| bucks and squaws separated and disap-
peared within their respective tepees.
Ten minutes later there was nothing
in the camp to indicate that anything
unusual had TRANSFERRED.
| Nate" Salisbury, Col. Cody's partner.
says romantic story is connected with
the marriage Of Holy Blanket and High
Bear. Holy Blanket left the Pine ridge
| Reservation with some other Indians on
May 8. 1t was her first experience with
railroads At a way station the party
disem barked for dinner. Holy Blanket
did not follow her companions, but re-
manned standing on the track directly in
the path of an approaching train. She
would have been killed had not High
Bear sprang to her side and rescued her.
| The spark of love was kindIed then and
there in both their bosoms. and High
Bear popped the question little more
than week ago. Holy Blanket blushed
| and answered yes
| Vhav infOrYoad Co1 Gods. Of That,