The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-29

contained the Sacred Pole and the objects
which accompanied it in the ceremonies
in which it was used. All these tents
were objects of the highest reverence and
awe, and if an unauthorized member OF
the tribe, or even a; horse. touched one
of them, even by accident. he was washed
in warm water and sprinkled with artem-
iSia to ward off evil consequences.
The pole itself is a cottonwood sapling
about eight feet in length and averaging
perhaps three inches in diameter 1t is
cracked and almost black with age. At
the upper end it has been shaped into a
sort of knob or head. The lower end is
fastened by thongs of hide to a stick of
harder wood, which is sharpened so as
to be driven easily into the ground The
Omahas called this second piece the
Zhi-be, or leg. The pole was never set
upright, but was inclined at an angle of
As degrees and held in place by a light
stick or prop, called I-mon-g dhe-a staff
such as old men lean upon. Somewhat
above the middle a piece of hide Is
bound to the pole by straps of tanned
skin. This hide covering encloses a sort
OF basket of twigs and feathers lightly
filled with the down of the crane and is
called the Acknowledged, meaning the
leather shield worn upon the archer
wrist and thus symbolizing a man who is
a prov1der and protector To the top or
mead Of the pole is attached a large hui
man scalp. Altogether, therefore, the
pole may be regarded as a kind Of rude
ef1gy of a man.
The pack which accompanies the Pole
is made of buffalo hide and is called
the Wa-dhi-gha-be, meaning literally,
things hayed.' 1t was opened by Miss
Fletcher for the first time at the mu-
scum, and was found to contain nine
seal ps-some with feathers sticking in
them SO ancient that only the quilts re-
malned-a red stone pipe with long
wooden stem, pipe cleaner with a reed
sheath bound with human hair, a bundle
of sinew cord, two packages of red paint
for painting the Pole, seven arrows
much broken, a rude brush made of
fringed hide tightly rolled, and pouch
of cedar leaves and sweet grass to be
used as a sort Of incense. All these arti-
cles except perhaps the sealpS. had their
uses in the elaborate ceremony of paint
ing the Pole, and anyone examining the
Pole as it now stands in the Peabody
museum would at once notice what at
first appears to be a covering of rough
bark on the upper portion of it, which
really, however, is the caking of dried
paint from a long succession of anoint-
ings.
The buffalo meant to the Omahas life
and comfort, and painting the Pole was
chiefly a thank Offering for successful
hunts and a prayer for future prosperity.
Naturally the Indians suffered greatly
from the rapid destruction of the buffalo
during the 70s. Not only was the buffalo
necessary to them for food and clothing,
but it was even more essential in their
religious observances, so that when buff
faloes could not be found, their sacred
rites were suddenly disorganized Con-
versely, after several unsuccessful hunts
the Omahas were convinced that the dis
appearance of the buffalo was due to
the fact that they had been unable to
perform the ceremony of amounting the
Pole, and in desperation they decided to
use cattle as a substitute in the perform
ance of the customary rites. After some
elaboration $1,000 due them. for land coded
to the United States was expended in
the purchase of thirty head of cattle and
the ancient ceremony again took place
As it brought no results, a second lot
of cattle was bought and used, but the
hunts which followed were still failures.
Meanwhile civilization was getting a hold
upon the tribe and many of it's members
as well as the United States government,
objected TO further expenditures In so
hopeless a cause. Although the. Sacred
Pole was still dreaded, 1t was deemed
powerIess to bring back the old pros
perity.
Under these conditions it required, as
has been seen, years of effort before the
chiefs of the Honga village who were its
guardians could be induced to part with
so venerable relic of former success ana
glory-and the task of securing the leg
enG2ry history connected with it proved
to be almost as great At last. however
Joseph La Flesche agreed to take upon
his own shoulders any evil that might
result from the disclosure of the secret
narrative,a and Shu-de- na-zhe, the old chief
who was the last custodian of the Pole
was prevailed on to tell Miss Fletcher
the tale which no white person had ever
been permitted to hear. 1t was a warm
September day, as she describes it, and
tall stacks of wheat cast their shadows
over the stubble field which had once
been covered with buffalo grass. The
old CHEZ tapped the floor with a little
stick in a rhythm peculiar Miss Fletch-
er notes, to the drumming of a man VINO
is invoking unseen powers to protect him.
His eyes were cast down, his speech was
deliberate and his voice was low-as il
he We're delivering to himself alone the
funeral Grafton of the dead past of his
people. The solemnity of the occasion
was justified in the event The CHEERS
recital lasted three days, at the end of
which time Joseph La Flesche fell sick
and two weeks later died in the very
room where the story had been told
According TO the description which was
then given the painting of the Pole SHOULD
occur when the buffalo below" IN the