The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-12-11
INDIAN THANKSGIVING.
Poncas. Beef Issue Day-Exercises at
 Native Schools.

Poncas, Beef Issue Day-Exercises at
 Native Schools.
 The interest in Thanksgiving day and its observance is just as intense these days among the reservation Indians as in college towns where great football games are scheduled to occur. Espec- ially is this true in the southwest, where the Indians have had an opportunity to become thoroughly civilized of late wears. The white people find no more enjoyment in this day of universal cheer than do these same dusky red skins.
 It is a day of feasting, playing and gaming, with a big dance at night Such sport only comes once year to them nowadays, when they nave had to forsake the sealping knife for the plough. Their wild nature revolted al the idea of work, and it has been with much difficulty that the government agents have made farmers out of the young braves. A day of rest and amusement is considered good for theiI better nature, and the government au- thorities are willing that Thanksgiving day shall become a festal time for the reservation wards of the nation.
 The KioWas and Comanches, who moi long ago were placed on allotments, will have forsaken many of their wild plans of amusement this Thanksgiving, owing to the fact that they have been cut of the free list of beef issues. They have arranged to draw grass money or 1. Thanksgiving, and a goodly portion oi this will be spent in purchasing food fol atgrand feast, At night they will take part in a green corn dance, at whicf thanks will be offered to the Great Spir' it for the good crops which they have had the last season. The spirit oi thankfulness pervades the Indian cele brations.
 The Osages hold big feast at Paw huska, their capital city. All member! of the tribe are invited to take part il the festivities. At the beginning ant end of each meal-and there are many the aged missionary who lives amont them is invited to deliver a short pray .er, thanking the Great Spirit for tn good things which the agent has sen them. The food is cooked by tn squaws, and, while it could be prepared III u uluGlt C1GdlCI Cil1h l1AVAS lelEASAA manner, the cooking is an improvement over that of a few years ago.
 The Apaches and Cheyennes are il the habit of holding a pony smoke; of ten the Osages indulge in this expensiv festival. A pony smoke is a friendl, meeting of two tribes and is especial! appropriate for the occasion. The trib giving the smoke is supposed to bear al the expenses. They provide the bes game and vegetables in the market fo their guests, and at the end of the frs days meeting thep present good pon, to the head of each family visiting them , As a tribe consists of from three hun dred to five hundred families, the ex penses soon mount high. The Osages being the richest reservation Indian there are to-day. can better afford t hold pony smokes, and, combined Witl their feast day, they generally invit several hundred guests from the Pon cas, Tonkawas and surrounding tribes Those accepting the ponies are sup posed to return the gift with equall. expensive ones later on, but few 0 them are in the position 50 to do.
 The Poncas hold every Thanksgivinl as a beef issue day. If the agent doe not come forward and present then with herd of cattle for this occasion they mortgage their property and bu. cattle of some neighboring ranchmar "A beef issue is the most typical of tn redskin, and also the most picturesqu of Indian Thanksgiving celebrations For years the government has forbid den the issue of beef after the nlanne of an oId-time issue, but on especial oc casions they are allowed the amuse ment of killing their own meat. It said by the government officers wh succeeded in having the practic stopped that beef issues tend to mak the Indian wilder and more difficult t civilize ....
 A hundred cattle are turned loose i alarge pasture. The young men of tn tribe are mounted on mustange an have shining field guns. With the go wishes of the squaws and medicine me ringing in their ears, they ride out t kill the cattle. The chase is accompa neied by an undue amount of wild yell ing, while excitement grows intense i the camp. The smell of fresh bloc makes the squaWs wild, as it were. Ali ter all the cattle have been shot dowr then the killers give a signal whic means that all of the tribe are at 1ibert to rush forth and secure their portion "A half beef is awarded to each squaN The beef Is cleaned and cooked on a fir on the open plain, while the medicin men dance their approval and the war riors sing in their glee. The feast fol lows with more dancing, and the whol day is thus spent, ending late at nigh with final gorge.
 But while this ceremony is going o among the Poncas,just north of thei
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