The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-02
Continued to page ~
FATE OF A
MEDICINE WOMAN
TT WAS ALL OFF WITH HER
WHEN SHE LOST HER THIRD
PATIENT.

Kalapine, Indian medicine woman,
one oil the seven remaining aborigineS
who are actually of the Yosemite tribe
of Indians, has lost her third patient
and is in line to answer to the immu-
table Indian law with her own life. The
unwritten law of the Yosemite tribe,
which is likwise the law of nearly all
the Digger tribes of California, is that
when the medicine man, or medicine
woman, has allowed three patients to
die his, or her, life must be forfeited
With the death of the aged Piute
squaw known as Mrs. Uncle George in
Y osemite valley last Sunday night, the
skill of old Kalapine is declared to have
met its third failure. This she loudly
declares is not true, but the Indians,
when they will talk about it at all. say
that this is the Hateful third instance,
and the white people of the valley be-
lieve that when the Indians shall
again come out of the woods for their
summer gathering, old Kalapine will
not be with them. Among no tribe has
the law been more circumspectly fol-
lowed than among the Yosemite.
Ten days ago the few remaining
Yosemite Indians and about forty
members of allied tribes gathered I'M
der Sentinel Point TO hold an old time
war dance and jubilee. The dance pro-
gressed as it had not done in years.
The preparations and the programme
were all under the supervision of
Kalapine, said to be 80 years of age,
who, since the death of her husband,
Captain John, several years ago, has
acted as the chief OF the tribe. She
was greatly respected and feared by
the Indians because, though a squaw,
she possessed all the mystic lore and
unholy knowledge of the medicine
man. For years she has been the doc
tor and conjuTer when an evil spirit
brought sickness upon an Indian of
the vicinity. In a way, this war dance
was celebration of her success not
only az a leader but also as healer
Her joy was to be short lived.
At the height of the dance the widow
of old Uncle George fell violently sick.
The long journey across from the foot
OF Mount CONFESS had been too much
for her waning strength. Kalaplne
undertook to drive away the evil spirit
and cure her. The aged squaw lay up
on a dirty blanket IN the shadow OF
Sentinel Point. Pine bOughs were set
up as her only shelter. She would c.
out with pain and touch this or that
portion of her body. Kalapine would
fly at her, and, applying her lips to the
part touched by the patients fingers
endeavor to suck away the pain. The
medicine woman muttered strange
words and went through marvellous in
carnations. All the Indians were af-
fected by them except the sick woman.
On Wednesday night, August 9th, the
old squaw stiffened and appeared to
have died. Immediately the dance stop
ped and the hideous death wall Can
NokD was commenced by the Indians.
All night the valley rang with it. Ka-
lapine brewed a tea from a strange
herb and next morning the patient
came out of the trance. The money
which had been collected at the Sem
tinel Hotel from guests for burial eX-
penses was held il reserve. A vigil
was kept day and night, and on Sun
day night the patient really died. She
was buried with great ceremony at the
foot of Indian canyon on the following
day.
The death put an abrupt end to the
assembly, but before the braves began
to load their traps upon the squaws
to be carried over the traits to their
distant homes an old buck announced
that Kalapine's third patient had been
lost. Instantly all was commotion. Ka-
lapines protestations appear to have
awaited nothing. The old bucks words
were accepted as the edict in accord
ance with the tme-honored custom.
Nearly all the Indians have now dis
persed to their winter quarters. Though
there will be no war dance next year