The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-18
PAsTIMEs OF THE SIOUX.
Scenes at a Series of Festivities by
This Tribe on the Rosebud Reser-
walton.

This Tribe on the Rosebud Reser-
| walton.
Sioux Falls Letter in Chicago Chroni-
Gle.
The sporting instinct, which exists to
a greater or less extent in all human
! beings, has not neglected 1.-The noble
red man." AS a rule, he is pictured
as morose and sullen, brooding eternal
| ly over the wrongs his race has suffer-
| ed at the hands of the white man. In
| reality he finds as keen an enjoyment
| in the pastimes that delight the eau
| casian as does any other mortal The
| fact is, the Indian is a social and So
| ciable being. and at times is decidedly
| sportive in his inclinations and habits
| To this those who have visited them
| on their reservations can attest, for
on occasions they display a relish for
| athletic and other amusements in
| strange contrast with their usual sloth-
| fulness. At times the stolid and digni-
| fed Indian seen at the agencies by
| the casual visitor throws aside his nat
ural reserve as easily as he would toss
| aside blanket, and with the greatest
zest enters into the sports peculiar to
| the Indians. The last one of these gath
| erings among the Sioux on the Rosebud
reservation, called by them the season
| of sports, was notable for a number
| of interesting features.
| The season of sports lasted three
| days. The morning of the first day
| opened in the usual way by a grand
| charge of Sioux at daybreak. This was
| participated in by about 200 Sioux war
| riors. All We're on horseback and
| dressed strictly in war costume, con-
| sisting of breech- clout, the usual bon
| net made of eagle feathers, with a dou-
/ BILE row of feathers, extending down
the back to below the waist, while the
| horses had feathers in their tails and
| foretops and were painted in different
| colors. The warriors were also paint
| ed in all the colors of the rainbow.
| The Indians who participated in the
| charge congregated about half a mile
| from camp in the deep ravine through
| which flows Ponca creek, and were
| concealed from the view of the war
/ riors left in camp. The latter were
| supposed to represent Pawnee Indians
| the old time enemies of the Sioux.
| The camp consisted of 1853 lodges, which
| were built in a ring shape, so as to en-
| circle about 800 acres of ground on the
big plateau. In the center of the circle
of tepees was a lodge known in Indian
as Tip Jykihe. This was supplied with
| food by all the women in the camp and
| any one who felt so disposed could eat
| at any time he wished. Nearly all the
old warriors, those too feeble to par
ticipate actively in the sports, spent
most of their time at the refreshment
lodge eating and relating experiences
| of the past, when they were on the
warpath against the whites or other
Indian tribes. Just as the day dawned
/ on the eastern horizon the 200 war
| riors, with blood-curdling warwhoops
and horses at full speed, rode into camp
| and for fifteen minutes made pande-
| monium. The firing of guns and the
constant war cry of the excited war
| riors mingling with the wailing of the
women was sufficient to chill the blood
Of any one not accustomed to such
scenes. After about fifteen minutes of
| fierce fighting, in which five of the
| Pawnees were supposed to be killed, the
Sioux retired, driving before them
/ about 100 ponies belonging to the Paw
| nees.
The Sioux lost only one man killed.
| They left him on the field, and while
| retreating a Pawnee brave, with all
the barbarity which was characteristic
of that tribe in old times, proceeded to
| scalp the victim. This was done by
| passing a sharp knife around the top
of the victims head. This was repre-
scented to show that, although at this
| time the Sioux were victorious, there
was one Sioux scalp left in the posses
| sion Of a Pawnee brave, who would at
some future time avenge the death of
his brother. This spectacle gave a true
| representation Of how the Indians made
war in years gone by. The dead Paw
nees were buried with suitable cere-
monies, in which the loud wailing of
the squaws bore no small part.
Breakfast came next on the pro-
| gramme. After breakfast, which con-
|
| fee, Circle Foot, known throughout the
Sioux nation as one of the bravest Of
the old-time warriors, gave an exhibit
| ton Of how he went on a horse steal-
| ing expedition against the Omaha In
dams early in the COS. At this time the
Sioux were encamped near old Fort
| Laramie and the Omahas near the
present reservation on the Missouri
river, a short distance north of the
| city of Omaha
Circle Foot at that time was quite
a young man and. wishing to make a
| name for himself by doing some brave
deed. concluded that he would go on
foot and alone to the land OF the Oma-
has and steal some OF their ponies. Az
ter spending two or three days In COM
nunion with the Great Spirit, during
which time he RETAINED from eating,
| drinking or sleeping-as was the Gus
torn OF the Sioux before taking a long
journey-he started early one morning
ia the spring on his lonely and perilous
tourney Of several hundred miles across
The plains 20 the land OF the Omahas.
he took with him nothing but his
bow and arrows and little dried buf-
falo meat, Which be- packed on his
! back. FOR ne depended mostly Tor his
FOOD upon what game he could capture.
Hla mission was entirely gucceahfui,
as one evening near sunset he returned
10 IRE Sioux camp riding me horse
| aud driving before him several others
! which b. had stolen from The Omahaa
darpife their vigilance The few clothes
Z ~ sfrada when 81 returned and be
I srorfaalna raff evidence n nie long
framr 49, soiff being entirely gore.
AZ ~ came reine 80 camp hs wee