Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-16
INDIANS IN WASHINGTON.
Nearly Score Of Tribes Represented nv Tho
'oo NOW Present at the National Capitol.

,. ~ no time, in recent years at least
| ntFt thefe been SO many Indians il
washington, says The Washington Star
| II was stated to a Star reporter tho.
| mere are now between l2J and $50 of the
reg men in the city. Some of them are
| suliiclently Americanizod to wear black
9'oit clotheS and black SIouch hats Will
polled shirts; but a number of them an.
| pear IN full regalia of an uncivilizel or
paftiaiiy civilized Indian. These are robed
| piih'lpaliy in red blankets. with mocca-
| SINS ana doerSkin leggins. and attract no
| street S '''N
| mere are the following tribes represent
ca mere at present: SeneGns Cherokees
| Sreeks. Choctaws. Chickasaws. Semi
| iloles, Nhlppewas. Caldos. Ottoes. Della
wares osages Arapahoes Omahas Tus-
eafofaS' Manis, Sissetons. and one or
| tWo others. Among these are several
.hlelS VINO have gained regulations
| through personal deeds of valor and by
| othef actions which have made them dis
'ihct from their fellows. one of the most
noled OF me rel men in America has
| jost lett Washington This was Oquanah
parker, who was with the notorious
| Geronllno. but who has now become a
good Injun" apparently SO. at least,
| Nearly all of the Indians have come TO
| the capital ON business. Some of the
| ,rlpes winch the delegations represent
| have grievances against the agents:
!
congress which they regard as inimical
| to their interests.
one OF the most impressive looking dol
| eSatlons, and one of the largest is that
| OF the ArapahoeS, from Oklahoma Terri
| tory. They number fifteen or eighteen
braves, many Of whom appear in their
aboriginal tinery There are two big
CnlefS IN this delegation. They are Wan
Snte ana Na-Ian- Ea-a. or in English
BLACK Coyote" The latter is well
known warrior and is d fine looking
brave of fortyfive or fifty years of age.
Tie speaks little English and wears AN
attraciVe costume which savors greatly
OF the wild West. being decorated with
quilts, beads ana other objects which de-
light the taste of the red man Black
coyote also wears Il large silver medal
the SIZE OF small saucer This hangs
Dangling from u cord in front on his
breast. 1t is nearly half an inch thick,
ana bears on one side the portrait of
eX-Presldent Harrison. with the name of
the chief 1t was presented Black Coyote
| in recognition of faithful services per
formed by that chief as chief of police of
the Oklahoma Territory. He held that
position for several years, and finally
gave it up, having had some trouble with
he agent. An effort WAS made to have the
chief take the position again. but he re-
fused to do 50, his feelings having been
too greatly injured by the agent.
The chief bears on his person more
than seventy sears. some OF which were
which We're self-intlicted. Black Coyote is
exceedingly superstitious. AT one time
several of his children died in quick sue
cession. As is the habit of the Indians in
such cases, the chief tasted four days, in
order to give the spirits an opportunity
to tell him what to do in order to avert
the calamity which had overtaken him.
While he was lying on his couch he heard
the voice like the howl of a wolf or the
barking of dog, and this voice, he
thought. told him, in order to keep more
of his children FROM dying. TO cut seventy
pieces of skin from his body. Imme-
diately Black Coyote started to put the
charm into execution. He first began
with seven strips of skin, which were
removed from his breast. the services of
an assistant being required. The opera
tion was performed by sticking a hrudall
into the skin, raising it up and then slic-
ing the cpiderms. This apparently had
no effect. and the remaining siXty-thrue
strips were removed. The chief showed
the visitor how manfuliN he stood the
operation. bracins himself firmly ana al
lowing no expression to come over his
features. When the whole seventy pieces
were removed the spirits appeared to have
been appeased. as no more sickness was
had in the family The chiefs face is
serried with the wounds. His arms and
breast are covered with them.
Black Coyote is one of the mo-. 'elc-
| brated ghost dancers among the indians
| and is second in this respect only 10 Sit
= Z
ly left Washington. This Sitting Bull is
not the same as the Sioux warrior being
of a different type.
The. business which brings the delega-
! ton here is some matter to be decided
! by the Indian commissioner.
! The Cherokee de1egafio, contains eigI,t
members of that tribe from the Indian
| Territory. headed by Captain ". \. Dun
| can of Tahlnntoh Of fhe Nation The
| delegates are as follows:
| Walking Stick. Faulkner Tehee. Red
| Eird Sk3oua Nani1s Lacey Hawkins ana
| Toe - Hly. A. A. ivev. a cherokee but
| not a .hlnoIed one is also nusrinp
| through some claims of his nation. He
| is a l9wyer at Tahlennah and ran a M
nar in rho Ir5fan Terriforv
| of the rhprol.res Red Rird is nrohal,1,,
| the most important He is AT fhe head
| If an organization in Inc Tndian Tarri-
| tory knovn as the I<etoo Nah Societv
| only fnll-hlooded Chorokees can belong
| ia his
| Ire Infect ie ia nroyno+e tho no1;t;eal ar
| ganization and preserve the Cherokee
| Nation pa Pira is acco,ntod = most
lie Misses lit[o citigen n Tho Irnitad
Sta+as but II NOT very fuent in his Eng
1jsh tJ,he nreennce ~ ne C,hnroifna III
| - NV nendin" in Conpraes TIE I'M
| C,n+,;, D,fnnS,, who i ~ tbo bnod ~
~ 1ol1 +i tb;nIs ,,7ilI NJ ,,1inst al
w. Iand ,,hio, t1,e Cbornlse oy.,, !, IL
Indian Territorv was bought bv them
f,1,,,, ~. initial states ana Il thar oven