The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-26

INTO INDIAN
SECRET ORDER
Mysterious Rites of the Otter
Skin Knights in Oklahoma,
STRANGE PONDER BLOWN
Over the man Who Is Being
Given the First Degree.

Guthrie, o. T. Jan. 75.-Matt Duhr. the
veteran newspaper man. is over from
Stroud for a visit OF several days dusa-
ton. AIr. Duhr is the writer OF indian
folk lore, and undoubtedly knows more
Indian than any man in oklahoma He
has made the Indian special study. and
many of the romantic things written
about the red men were produced by his
pen. Mr.. Duhr. while here, told of the
otter Skin" secret society of those IN
dams.
There are only sixty Indians in Okla
homa, including three squaws, who he
long to the Otter skin secret society"
said Mr.. Duhr. and the mystery around
this order is something that the white
men have been unable to solve. The mem
bers OF the society are the posssssors Of
otter skins. and these skins are pre-
served as valuable heirlooms, passing
from one generation to another. Some of
the skins are very old and are always
carefully looked after by the Indians who
possess them
THE initiation Of candidate lasts
three days. and during that time the can
didate is not allowed to eat or drink.
meal made from herbs Of some kind is
blown out OF an otter skin on a eardi-
date, and after having had this powder
or meal blown on him a few times, he
falls to the ground and goes into a
trance, seeing things in the future world,
or the Happy Hunting Ground as it
is usually spoken of. I have seen this
powder blown on the candidate, but the
other features Of the initiation. whites
are not permitted TO see. The ceremonies
are carried on IN a tepee. and the event
is a gala one for the Indians. X makes
no difference whether it rains or not, the
ceremonies go on Just the same. and when
Mr. Indian comes out it is hard 10 tell
whether he is an Indian or negro, II It
has been raining.
During the three days of the initia-
ton, pony well loaded with presents,
consisting Of many things, IS tied near the
tepee, and this pony is not allowed TO eat
or drink for three days. After the ini-
tiation, these presents are given 10 the
candidate and become his property, and
I suppose that this is one Of the pleasant
features connected with the otter Skin
society. Previous to the conclusion OF
the ceremonies. the dog soup is pre-
pared. Huge kettles are brought ont and
fires are built under them. Many dogs
are slaughtered. On one event forty-two
dogs were used, with more in reserve in
case fOrty-two should not prove SUM-
Client The dogs are placed in the ket-
ties and the water boiled until the flesh
comes from the bones. The bones are
then picked out Of the kettles and the
SOUP is then considered about ready for
serving. After several preliminaries, the
candidate is brought out in front OF the
kettles and is seated, Indians rush to him
with pan after pan OF soup, and he fills
himself, after three days fast, until he
can eat no more. The soup is finished,
however, before the initiation ceremonies f
are concluded.
THE Indians prefer shepherd dogs. and +
on one occasion the members Of this So ,
ciety paid S3.25 for a shepherd dog to .
place in a soup kettle. The Indians claim .
that the meat Of the shepherd dogs is ?
better than that Of the common dogs.
II have often tried 10 find out what .
the powder which IS used in
the initiation ceremonies. but this is kept
a profound secret, and has been handed .
down from generation to generation.
Even after Indians have been expelled T
the rules. 7 have tried to secure fnforma-
ton regarding its powder, but was un-
able to secure a word. Intoxicated In
dams viii say nothing about the powder
or the mysteries Of the order
1.-THE otter skins are carefully preserved.
On one occasion an Indian Travelled %
Iowa TO secure an otter skin owned by
one OF his relatives. He found IL after
q long search. and there was general re-
ioicing among the Indians when the
traveller returned. This order is some
hing that bafles the white man TO ascer-
tain the innermost secrets, and It viii
probably be many a long day before the
"details are ever knows
Mr. Duhr is one Of the raost entertain
ug converse tonalists in the territory.
when il comes TO Indian subjects. aid
we're he to publish . C5ok containing his
indian knowledge. his friends predict that
: would have remarkable sale