The Tucson citizen., 1902-08-11
GREWSOME INDIAN CHARM:
Its Loss Led the Cheyenne Braves
10 Leave the Warpath.

TO Leave the WRTpath.
or all tho rrcwsome things In the
National museum the necklace present
cd several years ago hy Captain John
q. Burke OF the United States army
stands uncqualed as Il monument to
IaGlan cruelty and superstition. This
necklace consists first Of all Of long
huckskin cord made by rolling up a
large strip Cf skin and sewing 1t along
tho border SO that throughout its ell
tire length it will measure something
Over an inch in circumference, or about
q thiyd Of an inch IN diameter. This
cylinder Of buckskln is covered with
hCaGWork 50 that no part Of the skin is
exposed. The beads are sewcd on in
.atAer tasteful PATTERNS Tie cOlors OF
wlcii 3gy white and blue 4 thin buck
ti.A s'rnE is attached to either end OF
tA~ 'hct bead iLcrustcd cord. by
L. ans of which the cylinder Is tied
aboUt ihc neck Of the woarer.
Hanging from the undcrs!de Of this
heck5atc and running throughout It's
entire length are twelve human fingers
81 .Se4 - ~ a. EAi4t'4t ttfAsN ~ ~ ItbhS OL
Iceala. shape and WORK manshlp at.
tarLcd hy hucksEin strings. la the
E.ddlc of the necklace depend three
smai! uediciue bags made Of the
tanned hide or skin Of human beings.
These bags contain charm stones and
other parapbernalia OF the medicine
man.
Tie human fingers. forming frIe most
conspicuous feature Of the necklace,
Gre complete, having been cut of be-
tween the middle joint and the knuc-
kle. They have been dried In such
manner as TO preserve their natural
color, finger nails, etc. and look as
fresh as though they had been re-
moved only a few hours.
During General Crooks ca mpaign
against the Sioux and Cheyenues In
1876 the Fourth cavalry and detach-
mcnt OF Indian scouts under Colonel r.
G. Mackenzie surprised and stormed
the chief town and principal strong
hold of the Cheyenncs. During or,
rather, after this engagement one OF
the Indian scouts. Eaptiste Pouvier,
better known as Big Bat. entered the
lodge 81 the chief medicine man Of the
deserted village, and among other
things that the medicine man had over
looked In his hurried flight from the
town the scout found this curious neck
lace. Big Pat gave the necklace to-
Colonel Burke. who later turned 1t over
10 student of Indian religions and SUI
perStitious. and he IN turn presented it
10 The National museum.
Subsequently something of the his.
tory of this necklace was learned The
fingers Were these Of famous enemies
noted for their superior courage and
bravery whom the Cheyennes had
Killed In battle during their various
wars. while the human skin of which
the medicine bags were made was also
taken from the bodies Of enemies slain
in battle. The necklace Is very old and
was looked upon by the Cheyennes az
thing endowed with miraculous pow,
crs. Prior TO ifs capture by Big Bat 10
had belonged 10 a famous medicine
man Of that tribe. who had never al
lowed any white man to lay eyes on II.
and its loss put very sudden and
abrupt end 10 the Cheyenne war. The
Cheyennes tried hard to get 1t back.
offering large sum Of money and a
great many horses for Its return, but
this was refused. and since then the
CheyenneS have remained Mt peace
With the whites. Washington Post.