Daily camera., 1897-12-03
POISONING FISH.
Annual Practice of the Cherokee
Indians.
The Meet This Year Is of More Than
Usual lmportance-PrObab In
reference of Government
Authorities.

.
days ago at MitcheIl's mill and a dozen
or more other places on the Illinois river
IN the Cherokee nation, only a short
distance from Sloan Springs, and will
continue perhaps until late in the fall.
lhe destruction of fish by the Indian
secret process of poisoning is enormous
and will result in the almost complete
annihilation of the last years growth.
The great tribal fish meet has oc-
CURED annually from time immemorial;
but this year it has been made an oc-
caslon of more than usual Importance
and the festivities attending it have
been OF the gayest order. Thousands
OF Cherokees have been in attendance,
and 1t has been the meeting place of all
the chiefs and the captains of the two
regularly organized political parties,
who, according TO tribal customs, gath
cred together to talk over matters per
talning to the continued perpetuation
OF their present political rights and the
continued peace, prosperity and happi
ness of the Cherokee people in gen
eral.
more than two-thirds of century ago,
and for hundred years previovs there
to, the Cherokees and other tribes held
sundisputed possession of vast area
of country extending over portions of
what is now Georgia, the Caroinas, Ten
nessef and Alabama. y 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 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
unto 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 elan
captains of the date when the festival
will begin. The CherOkees are divided
up into clans, as the Bird clan. the Tiger
clan, and half dozen other clans, and
certain ones are chosen to lead in these
annual gatherings. Several days be-
fore the different clans come together
the poison is placed in the river. The
dispensers are captains, selected from
the various clans, who look upon their
official positions IS n!aces Of great
HONOR
The effect of the poison ts not instan-
taneous, nor is it fatal. The fish read
lily swallow it, and when the effects be-
gin to be felt, they dart about in a semi
crazed manner shooting up and out of
the" water very often, or seeking the
surface around old driftwood, where
they often lie as if pausing for breath.
1t is not uncommon to see large, red
eyed trout, big catfish or a 15-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 para
lyzes the fish so that they turn over on
their backs and float as if dead. The
poison soon leaves them, however, and if
they do not take another dose of it
they regain their senses and activity.
1t is not a part of the programme to
allow any fish to recover if it can be
prevented. When she poison takes hold
sufficiently to craze or benumb the fish,
the Indian is ready to commence the
deadly work with his spear or bow.
Bows and arrows are also used, espe-
cially by the women, and there isscarce-
ly child who cannot use them with
deadly effect.
Sometimes whole boatloads are
speared during an outing of few
hours. When enough fish for feast
have been slaughtered, huge log heaps
are prepared and set on fire. When re
duced to Goals and ashes the fish fry
ing begins, Preceding the ceremonies,
which are a sort of tribal religious wor
ship. in which the Indians bow and pat
with their feet, and moan and grunt
dolefully, the fish are wrapped singly
in heavy brown paper and thrown into
the hot ashes where they are allowed to
remain until the religious part of the
feast. is completed. When taken out
the fish are very palatable, the flesh
readily separating from the bones, max
ing 1 most delicious dish. \ large cir
Gle is then formed, and all sit down and
are served with the fish without dishes
of any kind, the only accompanying
food being plain bread, called kee-nut-
chic, composed of equal parts of the
goodies of hickory nuts and waInuts
and Indian corn or maize, crushed be-
tween two heavy stones. This closes the
festivities for the day, the same pro
gramme being carried out the next day,
and continued in the same manner as
long as the fish holds out.
1t is more than probable, however,
that this practice, like nearly all the
other time-honored customs of the
Cherokees, will sink into oblivion and
90 out of use altogether, and it is not
at all certain that the Cherokees will
ever indulge in another fish-poisoning
expedition. The attention of Judge
Thomas, of. the United States court at