The Portland daily press., 1898-08-04
AN Usage INDIAN WEDDING.
Ceremonies and Merrymakings by the
Richest People in the World.

s(From the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Guthrie, Oklahoma, July 81. For a
week the Pawnee and Otoe Indians have
been visiting the Usage tribe on their
reservation in the northeastern corner
of the territory, and a grand green-corn
dance and dog feast has been in progress.
The great feature of the encampment,
however, was an old-time Indian wedding
celebrated according to Usage uses and
customs probably the most novel, brill
liant, exciting and entertaining wedding
ceremony that it has ever been the lot OF
man to witness. The contracting parties
were Paul Red Eagle and Idsa Stirekaxe,
fuli-blood members of the Usage tribe,
who are the richest people on the face OF
the earth, every member of the tribe be-
hundreds of acres of new land, and the
ceremony represented all the pomp. splen-
dor and dignity characteristic of the
tribe.
AS is the custom, "a contract was recently
made between the friends and parents OF
the bride and the friends and parents OF
the groom, calling for 50 many horses for
the hand of the bride. In this case the
stipulation called for forty of the finest
ponies in the tribal reservation. Ali this
occurs without the knowledge or consent
of the two to be welded, and not until
the wedding day did the bride know who
the groom was to be, or the groom know
what maiden of the tribe was to be his
bride.
Four O'Clock in the afternoon was the
hour for the ceremony. and at the ap.
ointed time six young men, intimate
friends of the groom, appeared, accom-.
panied by as many young and active
squaws, all prepared for race. The
young men lined up side by side, while
to the front some thirty steps the squaws
were standing in line. At a distance Of
wigwam, the bride appeared on horse
hack, handsomely and gorgeously decor
ated with all the finery and raraphernaiia
known to the red men, and the horse, the
finest to be found in the tribes herds
was literally covered with gay trappings
making AN imposing spectacle. in the
rear OF the bride appeared her mo- her
also mOuUJSuj dlIu UOSSOst Ouo f'o0o'su I'll
to the bride.
When the mother and daughter go
within $50 yards of the waiting line o.
young bucks and squaws they halted, ant
at the report of the rife Of the father O
the bride they made a wild dash for her
The first brave to reach the bride ant
touch her hand receives the horse sire /
seated upon, and Edward ChoutPau. al
educated young Indian, won the race ant
| secured the fine animal upon which shi
rode. Desha White Spear, the first squav
| to reach the bride, became tho owner g
the beautiful bridal robe, and will put 1t
away for her own wedding day, when j
| will again be contested for by rcine
| maidens. The race over, he great robe:
wrapped about the bride we're spread upor
the ground and she diamoupted upon 5h'
centre of them and was immediately
Sc zed by a score of squaws and carried t.
the wigwaln ofGhe groom. which, in this
! instance, pToVed to be n large farmhouse
| The bride was carried into the house ant
seated at large table loaded with food
which in quality would have done cretti
30 any wedding fenst Ct civilization. art
| in quantity surpassed the pYeparatio.ls
for many a great banquet. lbe bid,
once seated and surrounded by her maids
| the groom appeared and seated hiincelf by