The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-06-10
COMEDY and PANTOMIME
The Yakima Indians AmuSe Seattle'S
400" With Native Customs.
SK0OKUM SONGS BIZ HIYU CHIEFS
Other Attractions and Distractions
witch Went TO Make mp n Pro.
gram and Put Chickamum into
the Pockets OF Uncle SANS wards

usually warm day had an appropriately
hot ending at the Third Avenue theatre
last night, when the band of Yakima
Indians, now in this city, appeared in q
succession of acts intended to demonstrate
some old tribal customs. The partici.
pants in the unique entertainment that
Mr.. Russell offered to the curiously in
clined are in the city primarily rs wit.
nesses for the government against people
who are charged with the offence of sell.
ing fire water to the wards of the United
States, and incidentally to carry back to
the reservation with them the odd change
that may be picked up by the way, by
exhibitions such as were given last night.
There were some departures from the
programme as arranged by Manager Rus
sell, but these did not in the least detract
from the interest of the occasion, as the
succession OF acts was monotonous to q
degree and consisted principally of exits
and entrances in various degrees oil
nudity and hopping about on legs that
by courtesy was called dancing. And
this term dance" as explained by Web.
ster is derivation of Romance words
and means (l) "to leap or move with
measured steps, to the sound of music,
or (2) to move nimbly either alone or in
company with others, with regulated
succession of movements, to the sound of
music, or (2) to move nimbly or merrily
up and down or back and forth; to ex-
press pleasure by motion; to caper; TO
risk" Another deiination is given as "a
leaping or stepping with motions of the
body, adjusted to the measure of tune !;
lively, brisk exercise or Amusement, in
which the movements are regulated by
art, in figures, to the sound OF instru-
ments."
There is reason to belve that Mr.. Web.
ster's ideas of dancing were somew hat
strained or overdrawn by contact with
eiiete civilization and this belief is justi-
fed by knowledge that the contortions
witnessed last night were called dancing
long before Mr. Webster ever thought OF
establishing code that is usually ac-
cepted as authority. On the same theory
that the poetic movements of Loie Full
Ter. Ida Fuller, Amelia Glover and Others
that have danced with their arms are
dances, OF that Carmencita or Oteta, who
squlrm around with their anatomy an
who have evolved danse du ventre,
then 1t is fair to assume that Charlie
Wannassay's sweating, painting bunch OF
pastoral farmers are dancers, and pictur-
esque dancers they are.
When the curtain rose last night it dis.
closed naked stage, and then some
naked braves" came on to keep it com
pany. Others were dressed in heavy
furs, the very idea of such an accentuat.
ed heat causing the people in the audience
to fan themselves vigorously out of sheer
sympathy. What was billed on the pro.
gram as an Indian waltz dance" by
Black Eagle and Evening Star, WAS par.
ticipated in not only by those announced
but by the entire bunch of bucks and
squaws. The orchestra Save the mark =
sat in the first entrance on what in theat.
rcal nomenclature is known ~ the 80.
F." side Of the stage. /. was a bass
drum in lieu of tom-tom, and the sew.
eral players squatted around it on their
hams and beat out of it more doleful
music than bass drum ever emitted be-
fore. The beating was accompanied by
weird chant that suggested the delight
full yarns Of James Fennimore Cooper and
the yelloa-backed literature OF Daniel
Boone and Big Foot Wallace. The war
song participated in by the hiyu chiefs,
Sklew and White Bone, was backed 10
chorus OF the whole, part Of whom in
sisted upon keeping in sight and absorb
ing some of the attention. 1t was very
unprofessional, but nobody seemed to
care, and when the "act" grew little
weak several came on and helped work
up the climax. The numbers were an
nounced by Charlie Wannsssay, the
interpreter, who occasionally would say
These boys want little rest for a
CHANGE" and then the boys" would
rest. As the programme wore on and
the audience wore ont the members OF
Mr.. Wsnnassay's company would lay of
an occasional garment or two, appearing
principally in the charm with which ma
ture had endowed them, with their legs,
torsos and arms painted with all sorts OF
devices that were unquestionably native
| art.
This laying of OF garments is quite as
attractive TO hear OF as to see. When il
is told that the gsudy raiment was prin.
cipally breech-coth and apron of cheese
cloth, the realism Of some of the stu.
atoms can be imagined. In all cases it
was either too much or too little clothing
When the former it was furs, from which
the performers would issue frothng
and steaming from their exertions; when
the latter, it was always a dread that
some part OF the brief attire would give
way under the strain OF emulation of the
tirraa