The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-01-19
HOLD LAST SUN DANCE
MARCH OF CIVILIZATION PUSHING
OLD CEREMONIES ASIDE.

of the Most Important and Interesting
Events in Their History-Description
OF the Barbaric Ceremonies.
held in the Indian country south Of
Wichita. Kan, took place recently and
was attended by thousands of Indians.
1t was one of the most important and
interesting events of Indian history
that has occurred in a great many
years. Following closely, rs it does,
the ancient custom of initiating an In.
1ian chief Of the Sac and Foxes, it re.
minds the students of Indian lore that
the day of the redskin is passing away.
The sun dance is one of much cere-
mony and around which clusters much
Of the ancient religion of the redskins.
1t was held this time on the banks of
Beaver creek, in the Usage nation, and
the Osages were the ones who took
charge of the dance. 1t commenced
early one morning and lasted just d
week. During that time the dancers
took no food except some Of the sacred
herbs and decoctions fixed up by the
medicine squaws.
The sun dance is one of the few i'm
portant Indian dances where the
sQuaws are allowed to take part, but
in this dance they played a leading
role.
Rainwater, a big Usage medicine
Qatp6 of nninc
He was assisted by Pull Many Horses,
Ponca brave, who had passed
through many wars and was covered
with scars. The Indians who came
brought their tents with them and
stretched them in a circle around the
iancing grounds and left an open space
about one mile square in the center.
The ground was worn off smooth and
the grass-that is what little was left
was. turned brown from being
wallowed upon by the visitors. All Of
the Indians who came seemed to have
made preparations to stay a long while,
having brought most of their clothes
with them. They did not wear any of
1t except breechcloth and the squaws
wore blankets. 1t was learned later
that they were going to sacrifice this
clothing to the Great. Spirit as a last
offering for peace.
The first night in camp the Indians
did nothing but ride around and sing
war, love and religious songs. The
young men were out making love to
the dusky squaws, while the old folks
were within their tepee making loud
prayers for the repose of their soul in
the great chasm where the Indian soul
Is supposed to roam after death. From
the tepees came the sounds of doleful
praying and shouts Of revelry. The In
dian camp was awake most of the
night despite the fact that on the NOR
row they were to commence a great
ceremony, which must be done right or
not at all.
The Indians arose early and hum
dreds of them took plunges in the
stream which ran placidly at the foot
of the camp. Men and women went
swimming together and the medicine
men stood on the banks of the stream
and sold the sacred soap for any price
they could get. Notwithstanding the
fact that they were assembled to par
ticipate in a great religious ceremony.
the Indians idea of making money,
which is very queer, hit upon this
scheme of enrichment. AS the doctors
had ordered all of the dancers to make
themselves pure the sale was naturally
great. About noon, the master Of cere-
monies, mounted upon plunging mus
tang, rode over the camp and an
nounced that the dance was soon to
commence. The young men arose and
hustled off to their tepees, appearing In
half an hour clad in gay colors, with
many jingling bells upon. their ankles
and beads around their necks. Their
heads were all decorated with red
feathers and their faces painted in
white, blue and green.
The paint was put on in round spots
and they wore sheet tied around the
waist. The upper part of the body was
bare and it was also painted in many
colors Each one of the medicine chiefs
held a small whistle and the young
warriors carried tomahawks. They
were all singing some weird war song.
They all assembled in bunch in the
center of the dancing grounds, where
Rainwater delivered an address of well
come and told them Of the sacredness
of the sun dance. He impressed on the
young men that this was to be the last
sun dance they would ever witness and
that they must take close heed of every
thing so they would dance it when
they went into the other world. Some
of the old men who had taken part in
the dance many times were so excited
over the address that they commenced
to make signs to the sun, then in the
center of the sky, and started their
weird motions without waiting for the
speaker to finish.
The movements of the dance areabout
the same as those in any other Indian
dance-the dancers jumping straight
up and down and moving around in a
circle. Sometimes they would catch
hold of hands, but in the excitement
every Indian went for himself, some
times leaping as high as four or FIVE
feet in the air. The song was verse
especially composed for the occasion
and it appealed to the Great Spirit that
the Indians should be made never to
forget the antics Of this dance even if
they were never allowed to take part
in it again. The dance was kept up
this way until dark and every MEM
Der of the two or three tribes present
took whirl in the dizzy and dusty
circle. Toward night it looked as
fhouph If would rain so fhp mpdiojna