Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-10-16
THE JICARILLA
MEDICINE DANCE
A Weird Ceremony Performed Every
Few Years on the Reservation
in Rio Arriba County,
DRIVING OUT EVIL SPIRITS
Several Hundred Apaches Participated in
the Festivities a Few Weeks Ago Which
Are Sight Worth Going Miles
to Witness

| Apache Indians on their reservation in
| Rio Arriba county is extremely inter-
esting, especially to one who ha1 yer
witnessed anything of the kind
The medicine dance is not an annual
| function, but occurs only when a new
moon appears between the Goth and 25th
of September. Astronomical records
show that this happens every three or
| five years. The last time it was cele-
brated was during the latter part of
last month, when there We're nearly
1000 participants.
a WEIRD DANCE, ARENA.
On the reservation, eighteen miles
south of Dulce, is a small body of water
called Sinking Spring lake, and on its
shores the dance was held. Preparations
We're made by inclosing a ten-acre tract
of sandy desert with a circular brush
fence. Inside of the inclOsure, at a dis
tance of perhaps % feet and at proper
intervals, a circle of poles was placed,
and the space between them and the
fence was covered With a thatched roof,
the rest of the arena being canOpied by
the turquois blue Of a cloudless sky.
Entrance was from two gates. one on
the east and the other on the west side.
The celebration, which extends over a
period of ten days, or rather nights, be-
gins at sundown on the first day, and
continues until sunrise the next morn
ing. 1t is continued in this order
throughout the period.
AS old Sol sinks behind the western
horizon the grand march of the cele-
brants begins The bucks file in at the
west gate and the squaws at the east,
each turning to the right, and after
marching half way around the arena
halt, facing one another in a semi-cir-
ce then retire under the rooted por-
ton of the inclosure around the sides.
In the center of the arena is small
pile of brush, upon which a goodly sup
ply Of grease and oil has been poured,
and at this juncture, in strides the med
icine squaw in all the pride and glory
of her barbarous attire. The Jicarlla
Apaches have no medicine man. as is
customary with other tribes. Stepping
forward, she applies an ignited brand
to the pile, and as the fumes of sacred
incense are waited upward to the nos
trils Of the Great Spirit the bucks and
squaws give vent to their feelings by
chanting to the solemn and doleful
strains of tomtoms.
A MEDICINE FIRE.
After the medicine squaw retires
twelve bucks step to the center. where
a larger and fiercer fire has been kim
died, and while they beat the tomtoms
the other bucks and squaws in success
sive turns step forward. and, forming in
a semi-circle about 10 feet from the fire,
go through their fantastic contortions.
A weird spectacle they form, these SIM
pie children of the desert, clothed in
their gorgeous blankets and other bar
barous array-ther straight, black hair
unbraided and flowing in all directions,
while their black, beady eyes emit sharp
flashes of fanatical enthusiasm.
THE TWELVE EVIL SPIRITS.
After a while twelve evil spirits enter
through the east gate, and with GRIM
acing faces and diabolical grins adj
vance, while the dancers, panic-strick-
en- and fearful cease their dancing and
rush for cover. 1t is futile, however, for
the evil ones follow and submit their
victims to all sorts of temptations until
the bucks in their fury and Indignation,
rise up in their might and grasping
their mighty war clubs, drive their tor
mentors out of the west gate. About 100
squaws and bucks are then selected to
continue the performance until day.
break, while the rest retire.
The grand finale occurs on the night
of the tenth and the morning of the
eleventh day This night nobody sleeps,
but all arrange themselves around the
large fire dancing and shouting all
night to the ceaseless beating of the
tomtoms.
In the morning, just at dawn, they
rush out and place themselves in line
along the banks of little stream that
|
the east and the bucks on the west
bank Then the medicine squaw again
makes her appearance, this time with a
large basket upon her arm, the inside
of which is separated into compart-
ments, each compartment containing
some JUNCTION or healing salve. If one
complains of headache she dives down
into one compartment, and, bringing
forth the necessary remedy. rubs some
of it on the throbbing brow. Another
complains of rheumatism or probably is
suffering with a toothache; in fact, ev-
cry affliction known to Indian kind has
| its remedy in that mysterious basket,
and the obliging medicine squaw ap-
plies it with solemn dignity and fitting
ceremony.
ROUT OF THE BLACK ONES.
The ills of the flesh attended to, each
grabs his or her blanket, and then, as
the great orb of the day energies.
| thousand blankets are shaken in his
beaming countenance with such vio-
lence that the sound is like the rattle
| of musketry, and were one at a dis
tance he would surely think from the
sound that a fierce battle was being
waged.
This action is supposed to drive the
evil spirits in terror across the horizon,
no more to return until the celebration
of the next medicine dance, and leave
the Indians immune from every Ill. 1t
| is sight worth going miles to witness.