The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-08-07
N-DRIED DAMSELS.
OrEER MARRIAGE CUSTOMS OF
AN INDIAN TRIBE.
How the Coming into WOmanhoOd of Dig
ger Girls Is Celebrated--BE ked
in Hot Pit.



ger Girls Is Celebrated--Bg ked
in a Hot Pit.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Thomas Mccormick, of this city, has
made his home for the past few years
among the Indians of the west and south.
west. He was sent by the government
as a special agent to obtain some partic-
Mar information regarding the Digger
Indians in southern California. He has
written number of interesting letters to
his friends here regarding his eXperien-
ces. and the following, recently received,
is especially worthy of peTusal:
The Digger Indians were among the
fist taken in hand by the Spanish mis-
,ionaries. but their conversion to the
ways of civilization is only feigned. They
will pretend to be good Christians and
will adopt the customs of civilization
when they are to their own advantage,
but in his innermost heart the Digger re-
mains heather and savage. He will
openly profess Christianity, and in secret
will continue the practices of the religion
of his forefathers. In the same way he
keeps up the ancient customs and cere-
monies.
1t was my very good fortune during
nv visit to the tribe in the neigh5orhood
of San Bernardino last summer to be a
witness to some of their strange customs
and rites. One of the strangest Indian
customs ever saw was the celebration
of the coming into womanhood of Digger
Indian girls. The latter always marry
young.
When they arrive at the age of Il years
they are considered women, and are mar
rageable, but the ceremony of the pass
ing from girlhood into womanhood must
first be passed through before an Indian
girl can wed. The Shaman, or medicine
man. ascertains the number of girls IN
the village who have arrived at the prop
er age, and their mothers proceed to the
outskirts of the village, where they dig
square pit about large enough to hold
all the girls in a lying-down position
After the pit is dug out fire is built in
it, This is kept blazing for several hours'
or long enough to dry and warm the
ground. Then The embers are removed,
and covering of brushes is LAID on the
floor of the bit. Then the girls who are
to become women by this ceremony come
forward. They are entirely naked. ana
each one lies down on the rushes. Their
fathers come forward and cover them
over with blankets; even their heads are
covered over. This done, the older wo-
men of the tribe gather in circle around
the edge of the pit and indulge in weird
and monotonous chant, This sort OF
thing is kept up for two or three days.
and in the meantime the Indian girls
swelter under the blankets. Food is
given them from time to time, and at the
discretion of the Shaman the ceremony
brought to an end. The final act is
the clambering of the nude girls from
the pit
AS soon as they get out they make
wild dash toward some rocks about
quarter of a mile away, Arrived there
each girl makes a mark upon the rocks
which designates herself. This, as
understand it, was sort # bulletin
PROCLAMATION that Minnehaha, or what
ever her name happened to be- was
woman now and was in the marriage
market. Digger girls do not remain IN
market long; there is always brave on
hand looking for young wife.
Marriage among the Diggers is thougm
as lightly of as it is in Chicago. Inc
chief of the tribe can have more than
one wife if he wants to, and is rlch
enough to support more than one; IT he
Is not rich enough, he can have more
than one any way, and make them worR
Or him.