The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-21
THE RED MAN At OMAHA
Where the Show Beats the
Great Worlds Fair.
A CONGRESS OF THE TRIBES
The Finest Opportunity Ever or
fercd 10 Study the American In
dian-Characteristi of the Race
as Seen by Octave Thanet-The
War aad Medicine Dances.

War ald Medicine DUGces.
Omaha, Aug 20.-The savage viewing
tue flower of civilization. That is what
one may see at Omaha; and the more
one considers it, the more bewildering,
the sadder and the more interesting in
the gravest way, is the spectacle. Tumb-
led masses of cloud against the blue
caught the sunlight, and the colossal
statues on the buildings shone like white
marble The gondolas skinned the la
COON. A profusion of vines made bow
er out of the shallow curves of the colon
AIDES, and the banks of the lagoon
were a dazzling mass of altheas and
cannas. Opposite the beautiful Art build
ing stood little group of Indians. The
men wore coats roughly shaped out of
gay blankets and calico shirts and moe
casins. The women's black hair was I'M
covered. Their babies were slung on their
backs. Men and women and children
were all eating candy. A ''mixed-blood'
interpreter piloted them. They stared
with injurious faces; but as they passed
over the bridge on to the wide space of
the plaza, a wave of excitement struck
them; they nudged each other and the
biggest brave in the party laughed aloud;
while two three Indians, with mock
ferocity, ran, brandishing their arms, at
the grotesque "touter" for the odd
Maine restaurant, in his yellow trous-
ers and tow wig, who was waving toy
gun, and followed by his educated pig.
The women laughed and the men laugh
ed. They were almost as jovial as ne
groes. Then they returned to the candy
stand. They are fond of candy and soda
water, and ii is rather a shock to see
them putting cigarettes with intense en-
joyment. The Indians now encamped at
Omaha, on the Bluff tract, belong TO a
number of tribes. They are, or soon
will be, the peaceful Winnebagoes and
the Omahas, tie warlike Sioux and the
Apaches the Sacs and Foxes (whose an
cestors owned all Iowa.; the Blackfeet
and Cheyennes, the Piutes and Diggers
| Poncas (the peaceful tribe which never
| had the blood of a white man charged
! 20 it, yet were despoiled of their homes
| and farms more ruthlessly and with less
| provocation than the Arcadians We're driy-
! en- out of the North the Araphoes,
! the Shoshones, the naughty Semnoles,
/ the Zunis and Moquis, with their own
! crude industries; the Kaws, Quapawws.
! lowas and the Delawares, immortaliZed
! by Cooper; Tonkawas, Cherokees, Chip
! peWas, Osages, Choctaws Creeks. Unatil-
| las, Yawimas, BanEocks, Nez Percez.
representatives in fine, of almost every,
| great tribal division left in the United
! States.
! The encampment is by itself on the
! edge of cornfield Each tribe has its
! little village of wigwams. teepees or
wickiups. There the Indians I've in the
same fashion as they would live on the
plains, except that they have no farms
TO cultivate. They stay short time and
give place TO others. Meanwhile they
have their own industries: they make
beadwork and baskets, the Chippewas
! frame their birch bark canoes; the Naya-
joes will weave their blankets (alas, they
no longer use their own honest, vegeta-
BILE unfading dyes, but the more conven-
lent and transitory dyes of the white
man; the Zunis viii shape their pot
terry; they will cook and sew and have
| their own religious exercises and sports
and games and ceremonials. Captain
Mercer, of the United States army, is in
charge. The assistant superintendent,
Mr.. w. c. Liddiart, took us over the en-
campment, among the various tribes. He
seemed on the best of terms with them
all, and joked affably with the interpre-
tiers. The interpreters themselves spoke
English fiuently with the average plains
mans independence in grammar and pic
turesque metaphors. In general, they
seemed 10 be of mixed blood keen, alert
men, quick at a trade, very civil in their
manners. but not disposed TO have their
charges made a show Of more than was
profitable. Some of them are men OF
property. They are proud of their edu-
cation and their citizens Clothes as
they call the white mans dress.
| Later when we were watching the wal
dance. 1 heard a man call 10 one of these
,afy,f+ IN, tllai
ring, painted up and dancing?" to which
Jim answered gruffiy: Me! 1 ain't
never been painted in my life, or danced
neitherr'
There was a war dance in the afternoon
some seven tribes participating. A splen
did spectacle it was, purely as spectacle
The braves were in full war paint, dis
playing a truly CHASTITY ingenuity in theil
bedizenments. Some of the braves were
as smoothly colored as terra Gotta i'm
age: others had the pigments smearet
hideously in streaks and patches. There
was a 1.-the creature whose body wal
painted white, but his face black HI
had very little but paint and silver brace
lets and feathers on him, and he smoked
a cigarette Another warrior was all IL
| yellow except for green cheeks. He wor
glasses. and the effect of his painted fac
was indescribable. He was like one of tn
creatures in Alice in Wonderland" !
magnificent fellow, painted light red owe
his splendid shape, had grim array o
white crosses on his face. He wor
heavy bracelets and there were eagl
pIumes IN his black hair. With his bar
torso and his fringed leggins of skin, hi
paint and his feathers, he. might hav
stepped out of one of Cooper's novels
He had a carriage as untamed and fine
his figure I called him Uncas until
saw him blow his nose. Yet, really, / sup
| pose Uncas had no handkerchief. One o
the Fox chiefs certainly did have a hand
kerchief, and 1t was impressive to Sc
him as he wiped his face with some tw
| yards of unbleached cotton. The maste
of ceremonies was the champion archer o
the world The different tribes marche
in and took their places in a ring on tn
grass. They sat, their elbows on thei
knees, smoking in silence. Slowly tn
tribes assembled. While they gathere
two drums were placed on supports o
wood, and six braves sat around them
beating them and wailing wild and mo
notonous war song. These would Civ
place to others. Mr.. Liddiart turned t
two pretty Indian girls in civilized dress
who held themselves and walked like an
young girls, possibly thought NOR
gracefully. Does that drum sound nat
ural?" said he. The Indian girl smile
and nodded. VERY" said She
Presently a young Indian, In a smar
light suit with an umbrella, Joined tn