The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-14
SACRED 70 INDIANS
Is the Region Where the
Pipestone is Found.
UNCLE SAM RESERVES 1T
For Their Use-lndian Le-
gends of Creation.


the Minneapolis Journal. One tale is tina
lon ago, two fierce bands OF Winnebagoes
and Sioux, the bravest Of their respective
tribes, met in conflict here. They Tough
all day, from early morn till set Of sun
until the chieftain of one band was slain
Some of the warriors escaped and some
were made captives. Among the captives
was the chieftain's daughter Being very
brave and fair, she was chosen by ont
chief as his share of the spoils. Refus
ing, however, to become his bride, sht
was doomed TO the stake. In dying SHE
predicted that the Great Spirit would
throw her blood upon the suns rays K
aner people far away, and that the stone:
under her feet would forever be tinted
with her blood.
The most fascinating tradition of al
was told by Strike-the-Ree. head chief
OF the Sioux tribes, who resided at the
=! Yankton agency. His Indian name was
Pa-din-a-pa-pa- He died several years
ago at the advanced age of ninety-five
years. Sitting among the rocks by tbs
side of the falling waters, he told this
remarkable story of the creation:
In the for Off ages-many million
moons ago-the Great Spirit formed the
! first Indian-the first Da-ko-ta-from a
star. The heavens were rent with light
n1rIgs, and slowly the first and bravest
81 oux descended through the clouds and
a lighted there-near by yon lake. The
Great Spirit then made a bow from the
rainbow and arrows from the lightning,
gave them to him saying: Take these,
Wa-hn-yan, and slay the game" This
| first man was brave and mighty, Staying
! the wolf and beast and elk and deer for
many year. 1t would take ten moons
or more to tell of all his deeds. But final
iy this solitary man began to long for
! something new, some being like himself.
He lcnged and longed grew sad and dis
Fontented. He kept close to his tepee
fand left the game unmolested. Then Wi
| toon-ti monster, half-lizard and half
pike, who, with his turtle wife, fed upon
many creatures blood by night. but had
| always feared Wa-kin-yan's bow and ar
row-grew holder now, peered inside his
! lodge haunting him to come forth and
| shoot the buffalo, or even try his arrows
on him. But Wa-kin-yan needed not,
only praying the Great Spirit to give him
his desire
At last the Great Spirit heard his
pleading broke beam from off the sun,
and moulded the first of all her sex-the
longed-for one
Then he called the eagle from the thun-
der cloud placed her on his back, and
\ babe him carry her to lone Wa-kin-yan.
The eagle dropped her gently into the
! quiet lake by the lodge of the lonely
Sioux. Horever after any who bathed
| in the lake secured immortal YOUTH In
peace and happiness Wa-hn-yan and Co.
! tan-ka (Flute) dwelt. Their path was
strewn with flowers (for that is what we
/ deem our shildren) and Co-tan-ka grew
fairer day by day. Wi-toon-ti and his
monster turtle wife C'Ugh! From them
eprang the dogs of Omahas'D longed to
! battle in the lake of eternal youth and to
! suck Co-tan-ka's blood. By day they
feared Wa-kin-yans bow and by night
| the Great Spirit guarded the way. At
/ last he thought of a plan. He changed
| himself into an elk Turing Wa-kin-yan to
| the north and then in a binding snow
! storm changed again into a swan and
sailed back into Winnewissa's snowy
1 foam, hiding under meath the rocks until
! she came from her bath, when he sucked
| Ca-tan-ke's blood from under her shin.
Do you see the blood spots on that stone :?
| Then II the sons and daughters from the
northward and eastward came to mourn
| and comfort each other, and to hunt for
and wreak vengeance on Wi-toon-ti and
his wife. Buu the Great Spirit made the
suns rays so hot that the waters wherein
| Wi-toon-ti and his tnrtle wife were hid
| 1r{a nd had
! Then Wa-kin-yan took his tail-star arrow
and pierced them through and through
Catlin, the famed explorer of Indian
! country, was the first white man to visit
this locality. Attracted by the Indian
tales he had heard, in the summer of
| 1885, in company with a young English
gentleman and his trusty Indian guide
| he started on horseback from st. Anth-
ony Falls to explore this region. His
description of the Coteau der Prairies,
| the quartzyte ridge. the falls, and the
| pipestone quarry, written then, applies
| equally as well now:
| For many miles in the distance we
! had the coteau in view, which looked like
a blue cloud settling down in the horizon
and when we arrived at its base we were
scarcely sensible of the fact from the
graceful and almost imperceptible swells
| with which It commenced its elevation
| above 1t On the very tn OF the
| mound ridge we found the f. famed
/ quarry or fountain OF the red pipe The
principal and most striking feature Is p
| perpendicular wall of close grained com
pact quartz Of twenty-five or thirty feet
I in elevation. running nearly north and
south. exhibiting front Of about two
| miles, when it disappears at both ends
| by running under the prairies. which Is
there a little more elevated and probably
/ covers It for many miles, both north and
south This beautiful wall IS perfectly
strauied in several distinct horiLontE
| layers Of light gray and rose or fesh-col-
ored quartz, and through the greater part
/ of the way. both on the front OF the wall
| and over acres Of its heriz0ntss surface
/ il is highly polished or glazed as II by
! ignition At the base OF this wall and
running nearly parallel 10 81 there Is a
/ level prairie OF a half-u1ile in width. IN
any and all parts OF which the Indians
procure the red stone for their pipes by
digging through the sou. and several
/ slaty layers OF the stone to the depth q
four CT five feet From the very numerous
marks OF ancient and modern excavations
II would appear that the place has been
resortsd 20 fer many centuries 70 scare
the red stone
II appears that the Indian tribes have
| long held this place n sUPe-gutsous esis-
I nation, ans also that Il has been the re-
! sort OF different tribes sho have made
their regular pilgrimage here % renew
their pipes L Is ASA evident hat .As=s
people Sc; an sxtrzorst1zEy ral1e On the
] red stone. lnsen-sas.nt os the tact that g