The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-10-26
DANCE OF INDIANS.

.1ssiiroi Of the Sac aud Fos FWu BIoods =
Medicine Proof against EichcrdfG
This is about the time OF tho year
that the Sac and Fox indians are hold
ing their annual medicine dance re.
marked Frank Olsmith today.
Mr. Olsmith went TO the Sac and Fox
agency in 1859, where he was employed
by the government as gunsmith
Oklahoma was then wilderness and
buffalo were to be found no further
away than where Kingh.her now
stands.
"The Sac and Fox tribe was a Inc
looking lot OF Indians in those days, "
said he. They wore very little
clothing in summer, and shaved their
heads, leaving a rent dowu the middle
like the horsehair on Roman helmet.
Making medicine was great event
with them. The ceremonies took place
In a big lodge which opened to the
east and the west. White persons with
whom the Indians were acquainted
were permitted as spectators. Both
men and women were accepted for
initiation. The candidates knelt at
the east end OF the lodge, with their
faces t1 the west. From among those
who were already members OF the
medicine clan detail was selected to
shoot the medicine into the caudi-
dates. They grouped themselves at the
west end Of the lodge and began dane
ing to the noise OF a drum As they
advanced they pretended to grow sick,
groaning and rubbing their abdomens.
Each person carried medicine bag
of otter skin. This was held to the
month and the alleged cause of their
nausea was blown into it. This was
small white pellet. / never could
learn of what IL was made 1t re-
sembled soft white clay. The dancers
now thrust their medicine bags to.
wards the kneeling candidates, with a
swinging motion, and when about a
yard away feigned TO shoot the pei ct
at the candidates, as person wou d
eject bullet from powderless gun
Finally, the KIN, cling Indians were
touched with the mouths of the medi-
cine bags and the medicine was sup
posed TO have been shot into them.
They fell forward as il dead The
chief medicine man touches each pros
trate Indian aud brings him back TO
life. The dance grows more frantic
The candidates pretend that they are
not strong enough to stand the power
full effect of the medicine and fall for
ward again. There is more shooting
from the medicine bags and manipuia
lation by the chief medicine man, and
final the candidate becomes strong
enough 70 stand the medicine and are
full fiedged medicine men.
~ could never fully understand the
significance of this ceremony. The Iu-
dians are very superstitious and al
ways afraid of being bewitched. Mem
bers of the medicine clan were irvul-
nerable to witches and evil eyes In
addition to this protection, being u
medicine man gave social distinction.
THE medicine dance was always
followed with dog feast. The fat
test puppies in the village were saved
for months for this occasion.
1t was the rule thatin killing them
the skin should not be broken nor
blood shed. The puppies were singed
in fire, carefully scraped, cut in
pieces, and put ino pot OF boiling
water. The meat was stewed until 1t
was tender. II was not seasoned, but
this made no difference to the Indians,
who ate it voraciously. My curiosity
once got the better Of me and / ate
what an indian said was a choice NOR
sci from a puppy's bead 1t was not
so bad as ] expected, and tasted some
what like fresh pork"