The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-11-29
NNDIAN CEREMONY
THE "MEpIcINE swEAT"THAT MAKES
THE RED MAN CLEAN.

aad II Is to Him Rite, Both Pays
teal and spiritual = MakinE Medl-
,cIne 10 the Great Spirit.
Few, IL any. Of the writer's on the
habits, folklore aud history Of the
American Indian have devoted any
space to the red mans Turkish bath,
an institution homemade, to be sure,
but recognized necessity in every
camp and feature Of the daily life of
the Indian. on the contrary, COM
mentators have conveyed the impress
sion that habits OF cleanliness are for
elgn 10 the Indian aud that he has an
InLorn aversion TO water except for
culinary purposes.
BY the avidity and frequency with
which the Indian INDUCES III his home.
made Turkish bath he proves the fal-
lacy of this belief and shows that he,
as well as Ills white brother. can live
up to the prccept Cleanliness Is next
10 golliucss." only in the practice the
Indian puts cleanliness first.
The term Turkish bath Is unknown
to the Indian. He calls that method OF
ahlutlon n "medicIne sweat." II Is to
him rite both physical and spiritual,
for lie clcanses his person and then
makes medicine" to his Great Spirit.
That the rite is religiously observed
was shown by u band OF Brulc Sioux
Indians. who made journey across
the continent 20 the east and went INTO
encampment in. to them, a strange
land.
On their arrival, even before they
raised their tepee poles, they erected
"medlcIne sweat" tent. The framework
OF this tent is Of hoop poles so trained
that 1t is about nine feet in diameter,
four feet high. fat topped and almost
circular in form.
Just within the framework there IS "A
bedding OF straw about two feet wide.
and in the center Of the tent there is
whole in the ground about three feet In
diameter aud three feet deep. There
are no steam vents or pipes, no marble
slabs. no rubbers and no sheets. When
the Indian is ready for his "medicine
sweat" number of stones or rocks
are heated TO almost white heat ana
dumped into the hole i'll the ground.
Then the red men. 20 or % of them, In
n costume even scantler than Adams
after the fall. range themselves upon
the straw. They sit mummy fashion,
their chins on their knees and their
arms around their shins, packed so
close together that even II they would
they could not move.
When they are all ready, blankets,
4! aPd canvas are t!row:l over the
framework until the tent is alsaost air.
tight. two or three buckets Of water
are PASSED in and thrown upon the hot
stones and the medicine sweat" be-
gins. The moment the steam begins TO
rise the Indians begin a chant, which
is kept up without interruption until
the sweat is over. Packed together,
enyeloped in steam so thick that none
can see his neIghbor, the indians sit,
singing and perspIrlng for an hour or
more. Not an Indian moves. He
neither can nor wants to.
At a signal from the chief or the
medicine man a section of the tent Is
torn away, and with heave and
whoop all the bucks make pellmell for
the water. A run and jump, and in
they go. 1t is Just as much sport for
the Oldest warrior as for the boy who
has not yet won his war bonnet. Once
more on land, the Indian, having per-
formed duty he owes to himself and
his neIghbor. Is ready to make medl-
cine" This Is always done after the
..medIcIne sweat'-in fact II - part
and parcel Of the ceremony, for 1t 10
regarded as q ceremony.
The Indian, clean in person and az
this moment, before his communion
with the God of his fathers, supposed
to be equally clean Of mind and guile
less Of soul. now proceeds to the high
est point Of land in the vicinity OF the
camp, thus getting as near to the
Great Spirit as 1t is possible to do while
on earth. On the way he gathers up
little soil. stray leaf, some old tobacco
guilds, a dead tly or bug or two-in fact
anything which may be deemed refuse,
for he is about to convey to the Great
Spirit that he has cleansed his person
and that all things unclean have gone
from him.
These things that he has gathered he
places In a piece Of white cloth, which
in turn is fastened to the end OF long
stick. The other end OF the stick IL
thrust into the ground at the top Of the
hill or knoll. aud the good Indian has
made medicine. Two days seldom pass
without the repetition Of this cere-
mony. It never varies. The scene may
change. the Indian may. wander to new
lands OF be driven 70 them, but where
he is there also IL his medicine sweat"
tent and there be makes medicine
New York Times.