Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-03-06
INDIAN WAR DANCES,
Exhaustng Nature of Those Practiced
BY Onondaqa Braves


Of all the Indians on the Onondaga
reservation Jarius Pierce is probably
the best versed in the ancient history
and customs not only of his own tribe.
but also of other tribes of the Iroquois
confederacy. Mr.. Pierce has made
the war dances of the Indians an
especial study, and on a recent even
ing, with five of his companions, gave
an exposition in this city, supple
mented with short descriptive talks.
The dances as executed were typi-
cal of the old life of the Indians. The
ghost dance is held annually at the
councilhouse. and commentaries the
dead heroes of the tribe 1t is a mo-
notonOus dance, executed in strokes
upon a small drum and with mourn
full. weird notes sung in high key by
the participants. The dancers con-
tinuously shuttle around in a circle
In the exposition of the war dance
the braves had a fine chance to let
themselves out, and they did it with a
will. The screenings and yells that
the three big bucks drew out OF
themselves were enough to drown the
noise of couple of locomotives, and
the contortions with which they en-
| bellished the exhibition would put the
gymnast of any modern circus to
shame
The Indians evidently enjoyed the
work of dancing-for it was nothing
less than work 1t is not dancing as
tinuous jumping around on one foot
| and keeping time with the other to the
music CT the drum and the dancers
/ own voice. At the same time a con-
tinual din is kept up by each person
by means of rattle, stick. or club
f From the faces of the performers, at
times. it might be inferred that they
were working themselves up to a
pitch where they would lose control
of themselves, but the Indians were
enjoying it and came out of the dance
with smiling faces.
The dances were executed to music
that varied very little The voices of
| the performers seemed to frame but a
| few notes. but these were worked over
! time. AS near as the words could be
! understood, they sounded like this:
''Hua-lua-hua-lua. nia-ilhia, haua. O.
haua, and were accompanied by an
| incessant jumping up and down and
! shutting of the feet that must have
| produced a tired feeling. since the
! performers wore thin moccasins and
the dances were executed on hardwood
| floors.
Among the legends narrated by Mr..
Pierce was one regarding the teach
| ings of Handsome Lake 1t was said
| that Handsome Lake, after a vision
in which he met the Great Spirit,
! taught that only Indians were to be
| admitted to the happy hunting
| grounds. George Washington, be-
cause of his kindness to the Indians.
was to be allowed to remain just out
| side the entrance.
| The burning of the white dog was
interestingly described 1t was stated
/ that at the close of each year the
feast was held the popular impress
sion being that the sins of the people
| were consumed with the body of the
| dog, on which they were cast.
The closing dance was that of the
medicine man, who had a makeup
that was calculated to strike terror
to timid hearts. With wild songs
| and ye1ls the hideous figure of the
performer, who wore a death mask
covered with long hair, jumped and
danced over the stage until exhaus-
ton compelled a cessation of hostili-
ties.-Syracure Post Standard