The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-09-11
Aged Indian DOctreSS
Must Pay the full
Penalty
Failed TO Cure An Aged Pat
lent. and II Being Her
Third She will be
Killed


one Of the seven remaining aborigines
who are actually Of the Yosemite
tribe OF Indians, has lost her third pa.
tient and is in line to answer 10 the
immutable Indian law with her own
life. The unwritten law Of the Yosem.
ite tribe. which. is likewise the law
OF nearly all the Digger tribes OF Cal.
ifornia. is that when the medicine
man. or medicine woman, has allowed
three patients 10 die his. or her. life
must be forfeited. With the death of
the aged Piute squaw known as Mrs.
Uncle George In Yosemite valley last
Sunday night. the skill OF old Kala-
pIno is declared to have met its third
failure. This she loudly declares not
true. but the Indlans. when they will
talk about 4 at all. say that this is the
fatcful third instance. and the white
people Of the valley believe that when
the Indians shall again come out OF
the woods for their summer gathering
old Kalaplne will not be with them
Among no tribe has the law been more
circumspectly followed than among
the Yosemites.
Ten days ago the few remaining
Yosemite Indians and about forty
members OF allied tribes gathered un.
der Sentinel Point 70 hold an old time
war dance and jubilee. The dance
progressed as Il had not done In years
The preparations and the program
were all under the supervision Of Kai
apine. said 10 be 90 years Of age. who.
since the death OF her husband, Cap.
tain John. several yean ago. has
acted as chief OF the tribe She was
greatly respected and feared by the
Indians because. though a squaw. she
possessed all the mystic lore and un.
holy knowledge of the medicine
man. For years she has been the doc.
tor and oonjuror when an evil spirit
brought sickness upon an Indian OF the
vicinity. In way. this war dance
was n celebration OF her success not
only as leader, but aioo an healer
Her Joy was 10 be short lived.
Al the height OF tho dance the wild.
ow Of old Uncle George fell violently
sick The long Journey aerosss from
the foot OF Mount conness had been
too much for her waning strength.
Knlapine undertook TO drive away the
cvii spirit and cure her The AGED
squaw lay upon a dirty blanket In the
shadow Of Sentinel Point Pine
boughs we're set up as her only shell
ter. sbe would cry out with pain and
touch this or that portion OF her body
KAlapine would ny AZ her. and. apply
Ina her lips 10 the part touched by the
patients fingers. endeavor 10 suck
away the pain. The medicine woman
muitered strange words and went
through marvellous incantations. All
tho Indians we're affected by them ex.
eept the sick woman. On Wednesday
alght. August 9Th. tho old sQuaw stiff
fened and appeared 10 have died. I'm.
mediately the dance stopped and the
hideous death wall (Ah.Nok) was
commenced by the Indians. All nisht
the valley rAng With Il. Kalaplne
brcwed a tea from a strange herb and
the next morning the patient came
out Of the trance. The money which
had been collected al the Sentinel
Hotel from guests for burial expenses
was held In reserve A vigil was kept
day and night and on sunday 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 10 the
assembly, but before the braves began I
20 losd thslr traps upon the squaws |
10 be carried over the trails 20 tLelr
distant homes an old buck announced
that Kalaplne's third patien, had been
lost Instantly an was commoiion 4
kalaplnes protestati0ns appear 20
have syailed nothing. The old bucks
words were accepted as the edict IN
accordance with the tlmohonored
custom. Nearly all the Indians have
now dispersed TO their winter quar-
terra Though there viii be- no war
dance next year there win be shu Usu
Al summer gathering IN the valley just
across from II Captain. and the Indi
ana say that before they next come
tosesher Kalapine win have met an
unnatural death. n accordance with
the custom