The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
sun DANCE OF THE PONCAS.
GREAT SPECTACLE FOR THE
WHITE FOLKS or OKLAHOMA.
Performed by Naked, Paint ed Braves After
Three bays or FastinK-A Time of
Girt-Giying, TO0--Mhate Eagle, the Old
CHIEF, Tells what the Dance Means.
From the Kansas Ciiy journal.


E.,,, ,bs E,usoo CJu ,JournCi
Ar,orr tba most interesting of all the
I,r.,o,,s .,.a, ~ th. Jndi,n trihss still in
1890. ,s the .sun dance" of the Poncgs
ord STOW and csnecially that of the first
narod from, the fnct Of its general observance
ny.arv ,sar and the general curiosity which
=. $500 ,roamx ,h. ,,hitos
Tha po,oa rasoryntion pear Bliss Okla,
has hoar ,,ieitad NV more witnesses of
Chi. sanca thIa ve,r Than ever before. This
ra. dun ,ortIv IN the growing interest In it,
onJ aIil,e 70 tho announcement that White
Esr,a tho venorahls biub chief the ruler
1aS's. 'n' 49,, pnnoo ,riho ,yon,d nhd;cots
49, shias.oIrshtn IN S,vnr ~ his eldest son.
rIsuna cLios
Thn ,,, l,roo ha,d In tho northern mart
- ~. s.roo,s s,o," ronoh was concluded the
,n,ddIa ~ tba ,yaol, N ,vns folio we'd by
,hos, u,r unI sn,ota danc.s md n general
Ta.st hre,,Inr, ,be foot which for three days
thos" nar,ic,nn,;ng In the dance must observe.
II Ia ths ruls +hnt tbev pust ,,o through the
da,,o,tors 30 +ha,r dajt,, for aucb ia the sig
niscanca NJ tho sun IN them until they have
Iao"n,a .vhamstod and M water or food can
b.. ,,,,,,l, sod. ,nn bowever IN recent
,;r,as has h.sn mads nm excention TO this.
''J J,,r;,, ~. r,,as irst obscrvsf, tboussnds
syLatt,,s 81 ,h,s hoyaro,,a ,yere consun,ed nv
,ho h,,n.r,, and tbirsty radalins
S,nd,v w,a tho lilo day White EARLE
cant ont tho invitation In the language OF his
ss;ho. Wv .p;os daraa An nhitsa CONS And
,he wbites Ala come riding on the tons of the
trsins ont IN tho spot of prairie owned by
No Far 81 memher NJ tbe tribe and driving
Jistonce ~ thirty mr. forty miles
The SIM dance was continued throughout
tho dav nj intervals at such times us the
dancers saw IT 70 execute penance to the
1.
oaye wuv tn the other rites partaking more
NJ pood Fellowship and less of religion. The
Indians remained in camp the rest OF the
,yee,r and tho newt week saw them scattered
,vsr the reservation some OF them re-
turning TO their civilian clothes, others to
Oh. costumes NJ their rorefnthers
Nor two weeks or more preceding the three
daya nroner of dancing the Poucas were
,ratho,;nc Sron, all norts Of their reservation.
and indeod coming from "a great a distance
,' SahrnsI'o and tho Dnlotas Oldham
u,.s IIin tho clics medicine mnn upon
,hIs oooasion oan,e down from the Dakotas.
,..,s,,,. ,,.;th 30, ~, ,,ost attractive teuee
- 80, ., ,hosa ,y,+hir tho circ,e The cnnp
,,.,, lo,o+.d In +ba nor,horn mart or the "lOl"
.nnoL mr. tannas ,rora ranged in n circle
-, oho,t n ovar+ar ~ n ynila diameter In
20 49, IL InSian +ant. r,ore tho tenees
hai.uair ~ 40 balf dozen or more medicine
,,,a. - ,,,or, 49,, Iaodin, oncs oeaciatlnr
10. VIM H.. '~
A. -. 49, +,r,a 1os,r,,+ad bv The chief
nv .a'' wv ~, ~ In,sn I"',ins A soon
80 ~ b,anb tbs buc,s
way :,,,,.,ro+a ths
anu ie~ ", 'no e1ua"o I ~
Sei.'"o'A1e' H' -, - ,u, ,
oiol'tA1e VNie's ee"' ~, "',,.,.a ~, ,ba
'oih-to'h or run. Sins CIV "o Tha
Srounu, ana WIN e''chs p.a' IA u,,I9oH
Time winch they Keep "o'iu 'eu'''o ~" W
nary trot or man 10 De III step WIN u,
long oeioie 'nls, ho"eNe'. po''Io,s 800 IS.
otner meuicte men nave oeeh se'eo'Vu w
omciate IN the ceremonies. ineso na'o
charge eacn OF d squad o, uancefS, ianslns
IN huinoer from iour 10 uiteen' ny heu
cine man NOUS communion WIN . sun
oeltV lot oavs oeiofe 'ne ua'ue' anu ~
means OF Hisiohs seizures ut,eo ,t, 10
no" ne snali cohuuc1 onose ut'''ei MS ',,''
tutelaGe' MATTERS Oh apPealanos anu uIo''
lor me occasion come III LOT ciIie. oUlsiu
non mere AN tne uanocrs aIe s'lt go a
IN their most prlmlIl'e s"'.e' eAoep. ..a'
they wear an abpreViateu preechclo,h'
Their bodies and faces are painted in the
most brilliant colors rendering their ap-
pearsnce in some cases hideous. In others
demoniacal.
Some squads carry emblems OF various
kinds such az pasteboard figures of animals
MINUS, su'' AZ az ,u sr,r,,r - sara brush
ana men: An Salty Spin -. $40 &c thann '
the plant evidently ne'nG sacred 10 tne1n,
which thew blow footing Justify, at the same
t;rne that tom-toms are beaten. Lined up
e'ine ,na. w. .,,.' a. IT, =, .ha sva,r
in row in the early dawn or late IN the even.
ing. the beating OF the drums. blowing OF
whistl and wrthing Of the bodies one way
n md then another is indeed n weird spectacle
~" nc, CO. 80. 49, a., ,annnna 81, ~,
Last sunday niSht the maj pehhhce 10 1he
sun deity was performed just before heavy
rnin storm reached the camp and while it
n,s onnrnocbing II was sunnosed To he
wac app. T T". h"cLs ana va" somaws wers mr.
ranged in long line on the open prairie.
Suddenly, White Eagle. after much gesticu-
,,tin1 and r,u,nbling in tho Ponca tongue
began the beating OF the tom-toms' Inc