The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-10-12
'SAYAGES J IN | FAR JAPAN
SEVENTEEN THOUSAND or THEN
IN NORTHERN PART.

Aboriginal Foopto OF sAp2" s"e" "
sembIanes to American Indians.
The Anus. generally known ID
Americans and Europeans as "the hairy
are the only aboriginal people
now living in Japan. They are called
"hairy" in contradistinction to the
Japanese, Koreans and
Chinese. Their present home is IN
Hakaido. or Yezo, the most northerly
part of the empire, although it is sup
posed that in earlier times they occu
pied most of the entire country. An
cestors of the Japanese of to-day drove
them to the north, much in the same
way as the savages were driven back
toward the Pacific by the early settlers
in America.
The Anus live to-day pretty much as
the Indians on their reservations in the
West. They are still, for the most part,
half savage, and the Japanese name for
them, "Yezo," means barbarian. They
are very skillful in hunting and fish
ing, which are their chief occupations.
They are under the protection of the
imperial government. and are entirely
separated from the Japanese. The latest
census showed that they number veyy
nearly 1900.
Among the many curious customs OF
the Anus, perhaps the quaintest is their
method of naming their children. They
observe a peculiar economy in giving
names. The infant must go without
name until it shows itself worthy OF
bearing one. If it is sickly and not
likely to live, it is not considered worth
while to waste a name upon it. As
each child must, by immemorial custom,
have brand new name, used by no one
in the community, names are scarce
and must be garded. If the child should
be given name borne by some one else,
the ghost of the former posessor Oh
the name may come back from the TN
der-worId to avenge the slight
1t is customary to take name from
some incident that occhrred at the
child's birth, or it is left to the parent,
afterward to choose one for it. Should
the infant come into the world with q
smiling face it might be called "Ikish-
imaburu," which means a smile. Or
fond parents may call it Kamoissage Ga
pulling rope of the gods), if they wish
their child to be in the special care OF
the god.
From the age Of seven to ten, Ainu
children of either sex have their heads
shaved, but after eleven they are al
lowed to have long hair and wear the
same clothes as grown persons. They
wear no clothing unless the weather is
very cold.
The favorite and almost exclusive Or
nament is the earring, usually made OF
metal. What clothing is worn is made
of straw: They never wear shoes or
other covering for the feet, except as
great luxury and mark of distinction
on ceremonious occasions.
The men carry small knives and to-
bacco pouches, and the women carry
small looking glasses and knives. The
knife is used as symbolic. The maiden
wears it with the blade bare, but when
she marries it is worn in sheath. The
women also paint their faces, using a
kind of ink for the purpose.
The Anus. live mostly by fishing and
hunting. They hunt the bear and deer,
catch salmon and other fish, and grow
potatoes and millet. Whenever they can
get it they eat rice, which they regard
as the best food, though they do not
raise it themselves. Both sexes smoke
tobacco and drink liquor.
The marriage customs differ widely
from those of the Japanese. The ques.
ton is first settled between the youth
and maiden, who then refer the matter
to their parents through mediator.
who should be a relative of the prospec-
tive bridegroom. The man must send a
present of lacquered ware, which is re.
garded by them as one of the most
precious things in the world. This.
however, is reclaimed by him if his
wife afterward seeks a divorce.
Anus live in dwellings of about the
same class as those of the American
Indians. The rude hut has two win.
dows, one of them for ordinary earthly
uses, the other reserved for the en-
trance of the gods.
Woman is fairly treated and held in
deep respect. The man is not allowed
to enter the house when the woman is
in it alone, and he is not permitted to
walk behind a woman. When a man
meets woman he must salute first, by
smoothing his beard and rubbing hi,
hands. Then she responds by touching
her nose with finger of her left hand
During October the Anus hold a re-
ligious fete, which is called the Bear
Festival, because they sacrifice bear
which has been carefully fostered for
three years.
Judicial punishment among the Anus
consists of severe beating with a stick
administered to the culprit. The crimes
are generally theft-stealing articles OF
the wife of a neighbor AS there are
eight men to one woman, the majority
OF the males are not married, and wife
stealing is very common. The accused
is subjected to a. long examination BY
the chief of the community, and is then
compelled to resort to the ordeal oil
hre. He must take stone out of boil.
ing water. If innocent the Anus think
ne will not be injured. If the question
cannot be settled in this way. the prin.
cipals in the dispute must fight it out
The Anus are polytheists, though
they limit their gods to two, a god OF
hre and god of water. The first j,
called Kabekamoi and the latter Hato.
kamoi. They, also, like most peoples
who have religious system. believe in
some sort of heaven and hell.