The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-26
INDIAN DANCE IN KANSAS
Celebrating in Honor of the Pot
tawOttOmies' Sacred Drum.
Many Visitors From the Iowa and
hicknpOO Tribes - The TOm-tOm
Constantly GURrded-LOng Roper
tOire of the ReGsLin Musicians.

tOire of the ReGslSin Musicians.
TOPEKA. Aug 26.-The PoJtawOttO-
mics are dancing at Nadeau. on the res
ervation. tweuty-seveu miles west OF this
city. now. because their sacred drum has
been newly recovered. The dance Is all
the more interesting because many Wis
it0Ts are present from the Iowa and
hickapOO tribes
The approach 10 ,he dancing ground is
through a short lane. lined on both sides
with low. Untrimmed trees that sheltered
dozens Of Indian ponies and made shady
spots for the groups Of young bucks and
half-breeds who preferred TO spend their
time gambling with monte or chuck-luck
rather than in praying 10 the Great
Spirit
The drum means everything in the IN
dian religion; the religion of the Indian is
a part of their lives. When not in use
the drum IS kept constantly guarded ut
the house of the chief Of the tribe. When
the top wears out, as 1t will. and a new
one is necessary, II is the most solemn
duty to place that buckskin properly and
draw il just tight enough to make il emit
the perfect Indian tone.
The drum is much the shape OF the
common drum. were IL placed fatty on
eighteen inches high and are hung with
many beautiful strings Of beads that COW
ct it completely. Four croOk-shaped
canes stand up from 1t about four feet
in the air, and are brilliantly colored and
hung with Eaudy stTeamers.
The drum and eveJything about 1t is
symbolic Of the Great Spirit, and is al
ways placed in the GENRE Of the ring for
the religious dances.
The ring is circular, level spot fully
eighty feet in diameter and sunk n foot
and half below the surrounding plane.
All around, on the heap OF earth that
forms the boundary, rest many braves
ard squaws-
In the centre lis the drum, surrounded
by ten musicians, who sit tailor fashion
on the grass mating. Each carefully
holds his hickory beating stick, which is
three feet long and covered at the end
with bUckskiu. Outside OF these rests a
row Of sixteen women. their feet straight
in front of them. They assist the singers
by swelling. the chorus At the side Of
each person. in both circles. is a small
tin can.
Diagonally from the centre sit the rcla-
tives Of the persons who have died in the
last few months. Here sat a white-haired
squaw, whose husband had recently gone
to the happy hunting grounds: a poor
man, who had lost his. son; a huge buck
and his little daughter whose mother had
recently passed upward to the bosom Of
the Great Spirit These. with bowed
heads. seemed very objects of misery.
There were two opening in this huge
ring. Every one must enter from the west
eTn gate, over which floats AN American
flag The exit must be made from the
eastern gate
There was a signaling stroke of the
great drum given by the leader of the mU-
SlClaus Then, all alert his followers be-
gan TO play The beats on the tOm-tOm
are as regular as clock ticks After the
first measure or two the musicians sing
Ihe-r repertoire contains seventy-two
songs that have been handed down from
father 10 son for generations.
As the song dies away an orator stands
out He IS one Of those who has been
chosen beforehand and ~ know hia place
by signal from the chief In POttawot-
rOmie he speaks 10 those assembled
The Indian orator Is a marvel in his
way His style Is without show of feeling
or emotion. He speaks in quiet. slow, and
siBhuy cultural tones, gestiCulates nat
urally. and Is usually brief. As he closes
his remarks the chief musician sounds an
other signal on the sacred drum and the
dancing begins Those IN the outside cir
Gle VINO feel inclined rise on their moe
casiued feet and fall easily into the dance
steps
About noon the peace pipes were quietly
passed Ihere were two OF these carried
by appointed braves. who gave each man
Il chance for coveted puff This finished
the song. accompanied by its dance and
followed by "A short talk, is repeated over
and over until night settles down over
the dancing and the dancing-gr ground
Between times the eyer-thOughtful chief
dlspenses small bits Of chewing tobacco To
the men and sQuaws In the centre Of the
ring This IL TO show his gracious and
kindly feeling
The Indian women never dance Each
SquaW feels content that her man looks af-
ter that. But al day she will sit in the
sun and watch the performance and per
hapS hush the Indian babies that wall in
little PUttaWOttOmie sobs.
Early this summer their beloved chief
ShauOuskee, died He was buried in an
American casket. but with the Indian Ger
em0ny. The Great Spirit was called down
and received his spirit. Most Indians are
Roman Catholics and will 90 twenty miles
70 a service.