Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-10-20
HOLD LAST sun DANCE
MARCH OF CIVILIZATION PUSHING
OLD CEREMONIES ASIDE.

| OF the Bnrbaric Ceremonies.
The last sun dance that will ever be
held In the Indian country south Of
| Wichita, Kan, took place recently and
was attended by thousands Of Indians
| 1t was ole Of the most important and
interesting events of Indian history
| that has occurred in Il great many
years. Following closely, rs 1t does
the ancient custom of initiating IN In
dian chief of the Sac and Foxes, 1t re-
minds the students of Indian lore that
the day of the redskin is passing away
The sun dance Is one of much ccre-
mony and around which clusters much
of the ancient religion of the redskins
1t WAS held this time on the banks OF
Beaver creek. in the Usage nation, and
the Osagcs were the ones who took
charge of the dance. 1t commenced
early one morning and lasted just
week. During that time the dancers
took no food except some of the sacred
herbs and dccoctions fixed up by the
medicine squaws.
The sun dance Is one of the few i'm
portant Indian dances where the
sluaws are allowed to take part, but
in this dance they played a leading
role.
Rainwatpr. n big Osngo medicine
man, acted as master of ceremonies.
He was assisted by Pull Many Horses,
p"n"n brave. who had passed
through many wars and was covered
with sears. The Indians who came
brought their tents with them and
stretched them in IL circle around the
dancing grounds and left an open space
about one mile square in the center.
The ground was worn off smooth and
the grass-that is what little was left
was turned brown from being
wallowed upon by the visitors. All of
the Indians who came seemed to have
made preparations to stay long while,
having brought most Of their clothes
with them. They did not wear any of
ii except Il brcechcloth and the squaws
wore blankets. 1t was learned later
that they were going to sacrifice this
clothing to the Great Spirit as Il last
Offering for peace.
The first night in camp the Indians
did nothing but ride around and sing
war. love and religious songs. The
young men were out making love to
the dusky sQuaws. while the old folks
We're within their tepce making loud
prayers for the repose of their soul in
the great chasm where the Indian soul
is supposed to roam after death. From
the tepees came the sounds of dOleful
praying and shouts of revelry. The In
dian camp was awake most of the
night despite the fact that OH the NOR
row they were to commence a great
ceremony, which must be done right or
not at all.
The Indians arose early and hun.
dreds of them took piungrs In the
stream which ran placidly at the foot
of the camp. Men and women went
swimming together and the medicine
men stood on the banks of the stream
and sold the sacred soap for any price
they could get. notwithstanding the
fact that they were assembled to par
ticipatc in Il great religious ceremony,
the Indians idea of making money,
which is very queer. hit upon this
-rlirn,c Of enrichment. Az the do,tot'
had ordered all of the dancers to make
themselves pure the sale was naturally
great. About n0on the master of ccre-
monies, mounted upon Il plunging mus
tang, rode over the camp and an
nounced that the dance was soon to
commence. The young men arose and
hustled off to their teppes, nppcaringi in
half an hour clad in gay colOrs, with
many jingling bells upon their ankles
and beads around their nccks. Their
heads were all decorated with red
feathers and their faces painted in
white, blue and green.
The paint was put on in round spots
and they wore n sheet tied around the
waist. The upper part of the body was
bare and it was also painted in many
colOrs. Each one Of the medicine chiefs
held small whistle and the young
warriors carried tOmahawks. They
were all singing some weird war song.
They all assembled in Il bunch in the
center of the dancing grounds, where
Rainwa.er Gel vered an address of well
come and told them of the sacrcdicss
of the sun dance. He impressed on the
young men that this was to he the last
sun dance they would ever witness and
that they must take close heed ofevery-
thing so they would dance it when
they went into the other world. Some
of the old men who had taken part in
the dance many times were so excited |
over the address that they commenced |
to make signs to the sun, then in the |
center of the sky, and started their
weird motions without waiting for the
speaker to finish.
The NOV, III nts eth dane are about |
the same as those in any other Indian
dance--the dancers jumping straight
up and down and moving around in II
circle. Sometimes they would catch
hold of hands. hut In the excitement
every Indian went for himself, some
times leaping as high as four or five
feet IN the air. The song was verse
especially composed for the occasion
and it appealed to the Great Spirit that
the Indians should he made never to
forget the antics of this dance even if
they We're never allowed to take part
in it again. The dance was kept up
this way until dark and every men,
bcr of the two or three tribes present
took Il whirl in the dizzy and dusty
circle. Toward night it looked as
though it would rain, so the medicine
men were called upon to stop it. Two
or three of them went into sweat
lodge and were supposed to he praying.
When they came out each one held
white bag of something in his hands
which they threw at the sun. The
clouds mt once disappeared and no rain