The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-08

Gold Medal. Midwinter Fair
The Seminole with his brother Indian,
| wherever found, shares one trait, a strong
reverence for the medicine man. Still,
/ even that influence is waning despite the
care of the elders, and not infrequently a
sick Indian will resort TO the agencies for
treatment after the medicine man has fail
ed to drive away the evil spirits. AS they
are unusually reticent, 1t is not strange
that the officer was unable TO gain more
than meagre idea Of their religious be-
lefs. though II is true that he persued
this investigation incidentally and aside
from the main line of inquiry to which he
was detailed. He found that the Semi
noles, in common with North American
Indians, look to the happy hunting ground.
Aside from this, their religion seems to be
a very vague affair. They have no strict
~ religious dances or ceremonies. Their
greatest festival is the Green Corn
Dance" This occurs IN the full of the
moon nearest July 1 Of each year, and ap-
parently is purely a social ceremony. The
Indians gather at a rendezvous, with the
women and children, and give up the per-
iod of several days to games and pastimes
1t is the green corn dance that the young
warriors are initiated. In this ceremony Of
initiation they follow many forms like
those used by Western Indians, though
somewhat modified As a test of endurance
and scorn of pain, wounds are inflicted up
on the legs of the candidates, and he IN
dergoes other minor injuries. These, how
ever, are generally so slight as to suggest
that the ceremon vas practised by the
Seminoles is merely a relic Of the sterner
initiation of former days.
This festival is also a period Of forgive
ness, when the exiled member of the tribe
may return, provided he can make his en-
trance to the camp by stealth and unde-
tected. Successful in this, he is given the
BLACK drink and received into good
standing. The BLACK drink is one of the
most ancient forms of the tribe the elders
declaring that it antedates any of their
rites The dirk is partaken of by all on
the first day of the dance 1t is an emetic,
and is regarded by the Indians as purging
them morally and fitting them for the re-
Hgious portions of the green-corn dance.
The black dirk is brewed from a plant of
which the Indians profess the sole knowl-
edge. Another ceremony of this period Is
the renewal of the fire" the Old fire being
allowed to die, and fresh fame kindled
with quaint ceremonies AS far as the
writer is aware, this custom peculiar to
the Seminoles among the Irdians of the
North American continent, although it is
stated that a similar custom is practised
by the tribes of Aztec descent.
the Seminoles bury their dead with the feet
to the rising sun. The marriage ceremony
is reduced to the simplest form, consisting
merely of public declaration by the con-
tracing parties and the formal reception
of the groom by the parents and clan of
the bride. The marriage cont act, however.
is held most sacred, separations rarely oc-
curing, and then only by formal decree of
the elders. Adultery is punishable by
death, law which seldom needs to be
enforced because of the higI moral STAN
dard maintained in the tribe. After mar
riage the man removes to the camp of his
wifes family and becomes A member of
her clan. Because of their pnysiologically
correct ideas of marriage, their healthy
lives and general freedom from those vices
which have proven the worsr foe to the
red man. the Florida Seminoles are supe-
rlor physically to any other INDIANS. They
are tall. erect of carriage. and well pro-
portioned. Judged by the standard which
should be applied to a savage race. they
are industrious. While their chief occu-
patton is the chase, they are agricultur-
lists on small scale. Living in separate
camps Of few families at most. they raise
a few vegetables and native fruits, being
rather successful banana growers. The
forests and lakes supply them with game
and fish, though game OF marketable
value, such as otter, alligator, and the fur
bearing animals. is rapidly disapp caring
from the Everglades.
The occupation of the Seminole as a
hunter for profit is passing. In few
years his preserves will lhave become ex-
hauSted and he will be forced to the ,yavs
of the white man for livelihood. 1t was
a realization Of these conditions t1at
caused the government to take the ste2s
it has 10 prepare him for the inevitable.
Realizing that no project which contem-
plated the removal of the SeminoIes from
Florida cou'd be entertained, II was de-
cided that the most feasible plan was TO
locate the Indians on homesteads in the
locality that has 50 long been their home
This plan received the approval of the de-
partment and surveying party IS now
in the field mapping the lands which will
be set aside for this purpose. While be-
yond locating the Indians on these tracts
the general plan is as Yet largely tentative.
ii is contemplated eventually to allow the
titles 10 pass 10 the Indians. Possibly in
fifteen or twenty years they viii have so
adapted themselves 20 changed conditions
as to make this possible