Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-12-24
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MEET
HOW THE cHERoKEES ANNUALLY
DESTROY THOUSANDS OF FISH.

ing season OF the CherOkees opened
two weeks ago at Mitchel's mill and
q dozen or more other places on the
Illinois river in the Cherokee nation.
The destruction of fish by the Indian
secret process of poisoning is enor-
nous, and will result in the almost
complete humiliation of the last year $
growth.
The great tribal fish meet has &C.
Cured annually from time immemor-
ial, but this year it has been made an
occasion of more than unusual i'm
portance, ard the festivities attending
it have been of the gayest order.
Thousands of Cherokees have been in
attendance, and il has been the meet
ing place OF all the chiefs and the cap
tains of the two regularly organized
political parties, who, according to
tribal custom, gathered together
to talk over matters pertaining
to the continued pcrpetuation of their
present political rights and the con-
timed peace, prosperity and happi-
ness Of the Cherokee people in gen.
raj.
Before their removal West, a little
more than two centuries ago, and for
hundred years previous thereto, the
Cherokees and other tribes held un-
disputed possession of vast area of
country extending over what is now
Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee
and Alabama. A glance at map of
those states will discover many names
of rivers of purely Cherokee origin.
Upon all those streams the Cherokees
in the long, long ago, held annual
high carnival, and not few Of the old
timers present on the Illinois river
now were present then, for some Of
them are more than 100 years old and
cannot until this day speak word of
English.
Extensive preparations are made in
advance. All the members OF the tribe
within a region extending sometimes
for many miles are notified by the
clan captains of the date when the fes-
tival will begin. The Cherokees are
divided up into clans, az the Bird
clan, the Tiger elan, and half-a.dozen
other clans, and certain ones are chos-
en- to lead in these annual gatherings.
Several days before the different clans
come together the poison is placed in
the river. The dispensers are cap
tains, selected from the various clans,
who look upon their official positions
as places If great honor.
The process of making the poison
is kept secret, only the tribal medi-
cine men being acquainted with the
details of manufacture. No white
man has ever been able to discover
the exact ingredients of the mixture.
Buckeyes, that grow On the bottoms
of the Illinois river, form a part of
the poison, and great numbers ofthem
are gathered and put through a pro-
cess of drying and pulverizing. They
are then mixed with unknown herbs.
The poison is placed in the river about
two days in advance of the meeting
time, in order that the fish may be-
come thoroughly inocculated, so they
can be easily taken when the people
are called together.
The effect Of the poison is not in
Simultaneous, nor is it fatal. The fish
readily swallow il, and when the
effects begin to be felt they dart about
in semi-crazed manner, shooting ~
and out OF the water very often, or
seeking the surface around old drift
wood, where they often lie as il paus-
ing for breath. 1t is not uncommon
to see large, red-eyed trout, big cat
fish, or a fifteen-pound buffalo or red
horse lying so helpless that it is no
trick at all to step up and flip him
out OF the water upon the bank. The
poison sometimes paraly2es the fish
80 that they turn over on their backs
and float as il dead. The poison soon
leaves them however, aud il they do
not take another dose OF it they re-
gain their senses and activity.
1t is not n part of the program
to allow any fish to recover if it can
be prevented. When the poison takes
hold sufficiently to craze or benumb
the fish, the Indian is ready to com
mence the deadly work with his spear
or bow. Bows and arrows are also
used, especially by the women, and
there is scarcely n child who cannot
use these with deadly effect.
Sometimes whole boatloads are
speared during an outing of few
hours. When enough fish for a feast
have been slaughtered, huge log heaps
are prepared and set on fire. When
reduced to Goals and ashes the fish
frying begins. Preceding the cere-
monies, which are a sort of tribal re-
ligious worship, in which the Indians
bow and pat their feet aud hands, and
moan and grunt dolefully, the fish are