The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-09-30
INDIAN DANCES CONDEMNED
Capt. Nordstrom Biames Them for out
RACES Committed by Zunis.

Ohpt. NOrdstrom '"' O"'
RACES Committed by Zunis.
Captsin Charles Z. Nordstrom of the
Tenth United States Cavalry, acting In
dian agent at the Pueblo and Jicarilla
agency In New Mexico, has written an
interesting letter to the commissioners
of Indian affairs with regard to the In
dian dances. The letter treats of the
subject in a manner novel In official
communications and throws new Light
on a matter that has long given great
concern to everybody Interested In the
Indian question. Thte letter Is dated
June rs. Capt. Nordstrom says:
During my recent inspection of the
day schools attached to and lying south
OF this agency many of the teachers
com planned THAI on the occasion of a
dance In the pueblo they we're either
locked IN their rooms and compelled to
remain there until the festivities were
over or driven out Of the village entire
ly and ordered not to come back un.
der a given ume-the teacher at San
Felipe being elected and driven across
the Rio Grande. The Indians pretend
that 1t would be sacrilege to admit an
outsider to a participation In them, or
even to be present as a spectator, but
this is only pretext, an excuse to al
low them to assert their perogative,
the traders at Jemez and Zuni Inform
ing me that neither of them Is molest-
ed when the dances are going on, and
that they have both been invited to and
have witnessed even the most secret of
them. IL these dances, like the camp
meeting revivais OF the southern negro.
resulted only In harmless enthusiasm
in religious fervor, no exception could
be taken to them, but they are often
the origin Of great outrages The trader
at Zuni related the circumstances OF
one case which took place in that VII
lage not long ago which does not speak
very well for the advancement Of those
engaged In Il: A young man, just from
Carlisle, was ordered to dance and de-
clined, representing that he had gradu-
ated at school, had learned trade, and
was now an American, and Americans
didn't dance that way. Thereupon the
governor arrested him, tied him up to
a tree. and ordered him beaten, and
beaten he was-nearly to death. He
danced after that. Zunt, 1t will be re-
called. was the scene of the recent
IL u
witch. While | was there, Miss Dissette,
the ee-imable principal of the school.
sent for the decrepit victim of this re-
vival Of ;he days when our New Eng
land foretathers piosuly devoted their
reighbors 20 the stake and barred her
poor. old arms, to my Inspection which
lad no difficulty in discerning the scars
raetie by the cruel cords, which had cut
The flesh through to the bone. This poor
Did woman Is Ut least 40 or 50 years old
At the inminent risk OF her life. and
the medicine men. Miss Dissette went
TO the old woman's house, and by nurs-
ing her night and day revived the flick.
aring flame Of life which had so nearly
been extinguished. AS this lady, her
voice trembling with indignant emo
ton. described the circumstances of
this unspeakable horror, my own cheek
blushed that thirty-siX years of my life
had been spent in the service of gov
ernment under which such things could
be done. The traders cook, an Indian
youth about twenty. unfortunately in
curing the dispfeasure of the medi-
cine men, was arrested as a witch, 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
fiends In human shape. who will never
rest satisfied until he is Inundated up-
on the altar Of their beastly supersti-
ton. 1t may be asked, What has all
this got to do with dances? Every.
thing, because all the outrages commit
ted originate In dance. Is rain want.
ed? they dance. Is there Il food? they
dance; and should the doctors have
made a mistake in their estimate OF
the amount of humidity the clouds con-
tain. and PRECIPITATION fail to ensue; or
II the rain continues and the floods fail
to subside. they Immediately cast about
them for soapegoat, who is arrested;
and they Invariably hit up
on some poor old woman who has nei-
ther money nor friends, or other poor
devil (no profanity intended), without
and treated as a witch, for making
connections or influence, whom they
devote to torture, often death, and thus
save their regulations as augurs and
soothsayers. This whole question, In
all Its damnable ramihcations, will, OF
necessity, have to be settled sooner OF
later; the government cannot go on
appropriating millions year after year
for the civilization of the Indian while
these plague spots exist and thrive on
its bounty. But this letter is principal
ly concerned for the protection of the
teachers. What shall l do to secure
them from insult in the future? | re.
spectfully ask for instructions. 1t is
no use to turn the matter over to the
territorial authorities. The general
government has got to take hold Of It,
through the strong arm Of It's arbitrary
power, Force, by which these people
govern themselves, is the only argu.
ment which appeals to their obedience,
and the state OF things have described
will continue to 60 on until, by a show
OF force. they become convinced r..
government is in earnest"