The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-03

With most of the plains Indians mar
| riage consists simply of picking out the
maiden, leading her to a cabin or wig
wan and installing fner as mistress of
the house and cornfield. sometimes with
the necessary preliminary of paying her
| father pony or two or an instalment of
blankets, and occasionally with some
slight ceremony performed by chief or
medicine man. And when the brave
grows tired of his partner he can get
rid of her about as easily as he won
her.
The people who are now fiocking to
the Dakotas or Oklahoma to get d.
Forces would be supremely HAPPY If they
could throw off the calling bonds of we'd
lock as easily as does the reservation In
ulan. The fact having been formally
| announced by the head man of the clan,
the divorce takes place when the tribe
| is gathered at q dance. When all are
assembled and the circle formed the dis
contented warrior strikes a drum used
by the jewellers, gives away n few pres
ents (oft-times making present to the
squaw he intends 10 take next and then
in short. bombastic speech, he stigma
tiZed uis wife by giving her over to the
tender mercies of other braves while
they Look upon him obviously and con
slider that he has performed an act OF
bravery in his desertion.
Often as many as half a dozen divorces
are thus obtained at a single dance. no
tedious waiting, no courts. no LAWYERS
and no trouble about alimony or custody
OF the children. And the squaws thus
cast or as n general thing seem to take
1t as matter OF course, and before the
close of the dance are using the wiles
known and used by the women of the
world owe? In an effort to repair as speed
lily as possible the break in their he,a ri c
and matrimonial experience
With the taking of land in severa1tv
and putting on of citizenship. however.
the Indian finds that he has cemented
the ties that were so loose before for the
courts everywhere are deciding that the
tMbal marriages are legal and binding
upon the Indian who becomes n citizen
And If the weight Of one legal marriage
wears somewha; heavily upon a white
man, how must ii be with the red man
who has contracted two, three. or four
or even more alliances which the court
now declares legal marriages. and at the
same time takes away his former ave
nue. of relief?
The first court divorce ever given anv
member OF the Southwest reservation
tribes was granted in the District Cour,
al I'll Keno several weeks ago. The fair
plaint1T in the case was 4 fun bloodea
hIoWa girl. whose name was something
IKE Beahl koo, but, perhaps 1t had new
er before been SO reduced to writing nm
III II appeared upon the records of the
court. she was totally unfamiliar with
the English language, and II WAS neces-
sary TO tell her troubles by the aid of an
interpreter. but the trouble was to find
some one that could interpret the weird
ulalect OF kiowa. Judge Jack Stillwc,l
inc eH-scout, was present, and, although
quite familiar with the Comanche ton
| que ne was compelled to confess that
| he could not handle Kiowa.
way was soon found whereby she
could tell her tale of woe to Judge Bur
,ord; Caddle konkie Black Crane). n
Leading members of the Kiowa tribe
ana very intelligent man, was pres
ent, and whiie he could not talk Eng
lish, he could speak Kiowa, and inter
pref IL INTO Comanche. and Judge Still
well then Interpreted it into English
ohe stated that she was not quite Sly
teen years of age, and that she had been
married TO white man named King for
' three years, but that he had left her over