The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-29

| cooking is an improvement over that OF
| few years gone.
THE Apaches and Cheyennes are In
the habit of holding a pony smoke; Of
ten the Osages indulge in this expen-
slve festival. A pony smoke il friendly
meeting of two tribes and Is especially
appropriate for the occasion.
Bears All the Expense.
1.-The tribe giving the smoke Is sup
posed to bear all the expenses. They pro-
vide the best game and vegetables in the
market for their guests. and at the end
Of the first days meeting they present
a good pony to the head of each family
visiting them.
LAS a tribe consists of from 800 to 500
families, the expenses soon mount high.
The Osages. being the richest reserva-
ton Indians there are today, can better
afford to hold pony smokes, and. COM
bined with their feast day, they generally
invite several hundred guests from the
Poncas. Tonkawas, and surrounding
tribes.
Those accepting the ponies are sup
posed to return the gift with equally ex-
pensive ones later on, but few of them
do so.
Killing the Beeves.
''The Poncas hold every Thanksgiving
as beef-issue day. If the agent does
not come forward and present them with
herd of cattle for this occasion they
mortgage their property and buy cattle
of some neighboring ranchman.
"A beef issue Is the most typical Of
the redskin and also the most pictur-
esque of Indian Thanksgiving celebra-
tons.
For years the government has forbid
den the issue Of beef, after the manner
OF an old-time issue. but on especial
occasion they are allowed the amuse-
ment Of killing their own meat.
1T is said by the government officers,
who succeeded in having the practice
stopped, that beef issue tends to make
the Indian wilder and more difficult to
civilize.
"A hundred cattle are turned loose in
large pasture. The young men of the
tribe are mounted on mustangs and
have shining field guns.
with the good wishes Of the squaws
and medicine men ringing in their ears
they ride out to kill the cattle.
1.-The beasts have no chance for life
whatever. The chase Is accompanied by
an undue amount of wild yelling, while
excitement grows intense in the camp.
1.-The smell of fresh blood makes the
squaws wild, as it We're. After all Of
the cattle have been shot down, then
the killers give a signal which means
that all of the tribe are at liberty to
rush forth and secure their portion.
"A half beef is awarded to each squaw.
The beef is cleaned and cooked on a fire
on the open plain, while the medicine
men dance their approval and the war
riors sing In their glee.
More Dancing Follows.
| and the whole day is thus spent, ending
late at night with final gorge.
But while this ceremony is going on
among the Poncas. just north Of their
| reservation 10 miles are the Chilocco In
dian schools, where an entirely different
program is carried out.
1.-THE Chilocco schools form the largest
government educational institute in the
Southwest, some 800 young Indians at
tending.
"All tribes are allowed there. Every
branch of study, to say nothing Of the
industrial training department, is
| taught there
Thanksgiving is day of much in
| terest to those students. Those who
have parents are allowed a visit from
| them on that day.
| For several days prior to Thanks
giving the trails leading to Chilocco
| school are lined with wagons loaded
| with Indians. They camp on the Chi
locco Reservation.
"The students are allowed to go into
| camp with their parents, but cannot
| spend the night with them, for fear of
evil effects.
Brought Into Chapel.
ION Thanksgiving morning the stu
dents are brought into the chapel.
| where they recite and play musical in
| struments to the pride of their instruc-
| tors and amazement of their parents,
| who are guests of honor.
"In the afternoon the Chilocco foot
ball team contests with a team from
| some nearby town, while the girls play
basket ball with their paleface sisters.
"None of the wild sports of the old
| savages. who are seated around the
circle as spectators. are allowed.
| 1.-THE parents see the glad faces of
their children. neat-appearing boys and
girls. and they hear strange words, but
after all it seems for the best.
For are not their children happy
| amid all Of these surroundings. where
| they are being advanced in the ways of
| the white people? 1t certainly has a
good effect on the old people Of these
! tribes.
1.-THE Thanksgiving Day exercises at
Chilocco have been duplicated by a
number of minor Indian schools
throughout the Southwest, and all are
Satisfied with the rpar1lfa