Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-03-11
SQUAW CHIEF
Big Mary Buffalo Will Here
after Preside Over the Dss-
TIMES Of the Once Renown-
ed Cheyenne Indians.

WICHITA, Kas., March 9.-Much
pomp attended the ceremony of in
stalling Mary Big Buffalo as chief of
the Cheyenne Indians, who live IL Ok
| lahoma on reservation. Nary Is
the first woman ever appointed to
rule an Indian tribe, and. further than
that, she is gifted with power direct
from the great spirit. Besides tc,ng
chosen to attend to all of the business
of the tribe she will also act as chief
medicine man, or woman, one should
say, for the handful of Cheyennes who
have survived the effects of war and
| civilization.
Mary Big Buffalo, now chief of the
| Cheyennes, possesses much tact and
common sense. 1t was she who start
ed the plan to have all of her people
go to Mexico and live, and then when
she found she was opposed in these
plans by the United States govern.
ment, called the Cheyennes together
| aud told them she had received word
from the great spirit saying that it
would be better for them to remain
on their present reservation. So in
stead of showing her weakness she
| only increased her power
Her installation took place on the
reservation near Darlington. Few
white persons were permitted to wit
ness it. For three days prior to the
ceremony Mary lay in wooden wick
iup and communed with good spirits,
sending out messages to her followers
III which she told them that the tribe
was to have many blessings showered
| upon it during her reign.
Meanwhile the thirty official medi-
cine men began to make ready for
taking her through the mystic rites.
They erected small tents around the
one in which the woman lay. Mean
while the Indian rabble or common
stock of the tribe began to gather on
the dancing ground which is located
in valley surrounded on all sides by
high hills. The valley is. even in
the midst of winter, covered with
green grass, and the warm sun beats
down, making it a pleasant spot TO
live in. Here for nearly week the
whole Cheyenne tribe lay in their
tents and enjoyed life. Mary, the fu-
| ture queen of the tribe. is rich, and
she furnished the indolent busks with
plenty to eat and drink, and that was
their principal reason for being hap
py.
Suddenly one night Big Snake, chief
his tent. He had been fasting for
three days and was very weak. He
| called in a loud voice that all was in
readiness to declare the new chieftain
| elected He instructed the people
| to make ready for the ceremony. The
camp was soon astir. Squaws and
| bucks began to paint and sing songs
of unknown words. Everything was
in a great state of excitement. AS
cine men made their way to the tent
OF their chief and they chanted weird
things which no one could under
stand. At daylight the whole tribe
of 800 Indians had painted and was
ready to greet the new queen. Big
Snake lifted the flap of her tepee at
sunrise and cried in loud voice:
woman, came forth. Cheyenne
| tribe who never show white man fear
have choose squaw for big warrior,
| but squaw is brave. She had brave
buck. She know great spirit. She
make good chief
Then Mary Big Buffalo stepped out
! Her brown skin was nearly white
| from fasting. Her limbs were paled
from exhaustion. She smiled at her
people as she marched forth between
seat on the grass In the midst OF
them.
The medicine men wore sheets pin
ned about their lower limbs. while
the upper portion of their bodies Were
bere. Big Snake wore a straw hat
| and linen duster which some white
man had given him. He looked more
like a Quaker than an Indian and his
face was white, having been painted
that color to represent his station in
life.
At given signal they all began
blowing on their medicine whistles
and the other indians who were In
terested spectators chantod weird
songs. This lasted two hours, dur
ing which time the woman sat on the
grass and performed such feats as
catching snakes out Of the air and
making pretenses to eat them, pro
ducing medicine water from the palms
of her hands and ealing aloud and re-
ceiving answers from unseen powers
The Indians said the conversation
which she held with the great spirit
was entirely audible to them, but the
white people present could not hear
! n sound