The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-09-09
THE INDIANS CELEBRATE
Chiefs Moses, IOuEs PEG, Wolf and No
Shirt in Conspicuous Attendance.
BLANKETS, BEADS and BUTTONS
The Annual Gathering OF Indians
Win Their Barbaric Attire In
North Nakima'S streets Presents
IA Pretty Spectacle.

Sunday was not pretty day, but not
withstanding the mud under foot and the
clouds over head, the Indians gathered
in great numbers in the city, as is their
custom during hop-picking season. II
matters not how great the obstacle in the
way or how urgent the hop growers
needs are for their service on Sunday
that day they set apart absolutely as q
gala day, and they spend il in visiting
and shopping and admiring one snother's
finery. Every Indian has his horse and
what with Indians and horses there il
scarcely room for one to elbow his way
through the crowd. They are of all ages
from the week-old infant to the aged
great grandfather tottering on the edge Of
the grave. The papoose is invariably
simply wrapped up in clothes and bound
to a board which hangs on the mothers
back or is leaned up against post OF
building as the case may be. In travel
ing it is usually hung from the pomme
OF the saddel IN front OF the mother while
two others ride behiud her on the little
Indian pony.
The horses are of all sorts as are also
their trapplngs. Some boast only of q
bride made by tying rope around the
under jaw, and from this the horses fur
nishing increases until the climax is
reached with a silver mounted saddle and
bride, having long tapaderos almost
reaching the ground and highly decorated
martingae. The latter is sometimes
ornamented with tiny bells as WAS the
case with Chief No Shirt whose approach
was thus heralded wherever he went.
The Indians themselves are bedeckei
IN their customary ornaments which
reach from their beaded moccasins to the
colored feather in their hair They wear
leggings OF many colored blanket material
or fringed and beaded buckskins, shirt
Of brilliant bue with sleeves decorated
with bright metal arm ornaments, and
over these a blanket which passes over
one shoulder and under the other arm.
When a hat is worn it is always of the
cowboy variety and is ornamented with
a shining metal band or leather band
with metal aments. Their earrings
are of shells and their faces, eyebrows
and their skull, where exposed by the
parting OF their hair, are painted with q
red stain. The women wear hashv silk
handkerchief5 for head dress and are
partial to rings and bracelets. The
blanket is the gaudiest and commouest
article OF wearing apparel among them.
They are OF every imaginable combina-
ton of coors, red, yellow, green and
white prevailing, and are striped, checked
and figured. They are worn draped from
the shoulder nd reach to the ankle ex-
cept when on horseback, and then are
wrapped around the waist and legs. One
can easier imagine than describe the eff
feet of a thousand such costumes moving
up and down our sidewalks.
Chief Moses arrived during the day
with 2O0 followers and it is said the bal
ance OF his people are on the way. He
did not wear the same gorgeous coat that
he had last year but in it's place had one
of deer skin, fringed and beavcred and
covered with hinge fur The other coat
may make its appearance next Sunday.
Moses is the head chief OF all the Indians
in the country and is said to outrank
even Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces,
whom he calls his son. Joseph recog-
nizes Chief Moses as his superior Just as
White Swan does who is head chief Of
the nine tribes living on the Yakima res
ervation. This rank is hereditary and is
recognized by all.
Among other prominent Indians who
are here are Young PEG, chief of the
Umatllas, a fine looking man perhaps
forty years old Chief Wolf of the Snake
River or Palouse Indians, gorgeously ar.
rayed in shining raiment; and No Shirt,
the big, young chief Of the Nez Perces,
ranking next to Joseph. Chief No Shirt
was very conspicuous figure with his
beautiful clothing and finely caparisoned
horse, whose tinkling bells attracted
attention wherever he went, but
Chief Wolf was the most gorgeous OF
them all. He was dressed IN white all
through, and draped to his person and
trailing on the ground was a fur robe
decorated with eagles feathers; these
also bedecked his head dress OF deer skin
which had for visor the skull Of some
animal. He wore over one shoulder and
under the other arm a chaplet OF beaded
bullets interspersed with bones and shells
and was the envied of all observers.
There were very few drunken Indians
on the streets and the order was good.
All Of the yards had not commenced
picking and as consequence there were
not so many Indians in town as there
will be later on. 1t is estimated tina,
next Sunday will see from 300 to 5000
Indians in our city.
| The study of the Indian has been one
of great interest to great many people.
At the present time DIR. Frank Boas, the
eminent ethnoiogist of the American