The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-24
INDIAN CRUELTIES.
ToRruREs INFLICTED UPON ALL WHO
REFUSE TO DANCE.


These Orgies Are Carried On-A Serious
Question That Must BE settled Sooner
or Later.
/ Captain Charles f. Nordstrom of che
! Tenth United States cavalry, acting In
I dian agent at the Pueblo and Jicarilla
/ Agency i'm Now Mexico, has written an in
] tcresting letter TO the commissioner of In
( dian affairs with regard To the Indian
dances. The letter treats of the subject in
a manner novel in official communications
and throws new light on n matter that
has long given great concern TO every body
interested in the Indian question. Cap
tain Nordstrom says:
During my recent inspection of the
day schools attached TO and lying south of
this agency many of tho teachers COM
planned that on the occasion of a dance
in the pueblo they were either locked in
their rooms and compelled to remain there
until the festivities were over or were
driven out of the village entirely and or
dered not TO some back under a given
time the teacher at San Felipe being
elected and driven across the Rio Grande
1.-The Indians pretend that it would he
saorilege To admit IN outsider to partici-
patton in them or even to be present as a
spectator, bur this is only pretext, an ex-
cuse To allow chem To assert their preroga-
tive, the traders at JemeZ and Zuni in
forming me that neither Of them is mo-
Tested when the dances are going on and
that they have both been invited 10 and
have witnessed oven the most secret of
them. If these dances, like the camp meet
ing revivals of the southern negro result
ed only In harmless enthusiasm in re-
!igious fervor, no exception could be taken
10 them, but they are often the origin of
great outrages. The trader of Zuni related
the circumstances of one case which took
place ~ that village not long ago which
docs not speak very well for the advance
ment of those engaged in t.
"A young man just from Carlisle was
ordered 20 dance, and declined, represent
ing that be had graduated at school, had
learned trade and was now an American
and Americans did not dance that way.
Ihereupon the governor arrested him. tied
him up TO II tree and ordered him beaten,
and beaten he was-nearly to death. He
danced after that.
'Iuni, it will be recalled, was the scene
of the hanging of n poor old creature as
witch. While ! was there Miss Dissette,
the estimablo principal of the school, sent
for the victim of this revival of tho days
when our New England forefathers pious-
ly devoted their neighbOrs to the stake ana
barred her poor old arms to my inspection.
There WAS no difficulty in discerning the
scars made 10y the cruel cords which had
cut the flesh through to the bone This
poor old woman is at least 20 or so years
old. AT the imminent risk of her life and
the forfeiture Of her popularity with the
medicine men Miss Dissette went to the
old woman's house. and, by nursing her
night and day, revived the flickering flame
OF life which had so nearly been extin-
guished. AS this woman, her voice trem-
bling with indignant emotion, described
the circumstances of this unspeaka bio hor-
ror, my own cheek blushed that 36 years
OF my life had been spent in the service of
n government under which such things
could be done.
The traders cook. an Indian youth
about 20, unfortunately mourning the dis
pleasure of the medicine men, was arrested
as wizard, and, but for the flrmness of
his employer, would have been put TO !
death, and even now he dares not venture |
outside the premises after dark for fear of |
being kidnapped by the emissaries of these |
nends In human shape, who will never |
rest satisfied until he Is inundated upon |
the altar of their beastly superstition.
1t may DO asked, What has all this got |
to do with dancesp Everything, because |
all the outrages committed originate In q |
lance. Is rain wanted? They dance. Is |
here foodY They dance. Should the
doctors have made mistake in their esti-
mate of the amount of humidity the clouds
contain and precipitation fail to ensue,
,r II the rain continues and the floods fail
20 subside, they Immediately cast about
them for scapegoat, who Is arrested and
,reated as witch, for making medicine
against their medicine, and they inyari-
IDLY hit upon some poor old woman who
las neither money nor friends. or other
Door devil (no profanity intendcd) without
or influence, whom they de.
'ote to torture, often death, and thus save
heir regulations as augurs and sooth-
ayers.
This whole question in all it's damna-
)le ramifications will, of necessity, have
o be settled sooner or later The govern
nent cannot go on appropriating millions
ear after year for the civilization of the
indian while these plague spots exist and
hrive on its bounty, but this letter Is
principally concerned for the protection of
he teachers What shall do to secure
hem from insult in the futurep l respect
ully ask for instructions. It is no use to
urn the matter over to the territorial au
horities. That has been tried and failed
The general government has got TO take
'old OF 1t through the strong arm of its
powers. Force by which these
'eopie govern themselves, is the only argu-
nent which appeals to their obedience
ND the state OF things l have described
VIII continue to go on until, by show of
orce, they become convinced the govern
nent Is In earnest. Washington Cor. st.
,ouis Globe Democrat.