New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-16

Hfrn
naee ,1 themselves according to their ancient
- ,,ost tarbarous rites. One Indian was said
: rs,-e dragged a cows head around the reserva-
-. -. means Of a ariat fastened 10 sticks which
he5 been driven into the flesh OF ms shoulders.
- 49, brave" was reported to have inserted
i'' .,.,,,s-, a cut in his breast. and then tried
- himself 10 a tree. The weight Of his
Levsr tore out the flesh, and yet the
oor wretch with that stohdlty so charac'Siis'lc
. t,s are showed sign Of his agony.
.-.,~5ing to b. T. White. who made the charges
,oead his assertions in detail on informa-
~ seemed from Mr.. seger, superintendent OF the
-.-.,1e Indian schools in Oklahoma these Two
,zIore revived these savage customs OF me sun
80. because they were paid for their perform
.oe bv two prominent eth1ologists. VINO wanted
- study this peculiar phase OF InGlan me.
E,,+eyer may be the facts Of the case. Secretary
r,,.bocl Of the Department of the Interior issued
an order last week 10 Mr. Seger IN "hlch ne
asked for a complete report Of the last sun uaIoe
Of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe means. iol 'l
Information he has thus far received 7ecrelaiS
Irf,,t.,ocl. has become highly incensed. ana IN
s,eslsnp about the sun dance the other day ne
said l.. 49,,
IT IT is found that any persons whether an me
government service not, were instrumental "
melting the Indians the sun dance torture tles
shall be reached and punished. II there Is d a'
"a tho etstute hooks under which It can ne uoiIe'
ceorpe A Dorsey Of the Field Coiuihoiai
Museum. Of Chicago, and James IN ooile'' o,+
Bureau of Ethnology, at Washington were "a
9. the last sun dance Of the Cheyenne lhulails'
near Cantonment Okla. The charges were ai
a. them Mr. Dorsey has met them Win q
Eat footed denial. He has said that 1t was apsuiu
that either DR. Mooney himself could seC up
sun dance The Dances according to Mr. DoIseS'
have nothing harmful in them ana constitute q
religious observance in which the lilulaH u A'''0
Ties the creation of the world
~. NAV be said" added Mr.. Dorsey. 'that the
y,psvenne Indians are supposed to be citizens OF
ne United states and as such they have as mucn
right TO carry on religious ceremonies as any olher
oyrsnization or any other class of citizens.
The sun dance was at one time one OF the most
ssvsge and revolving religious rites among the
Indians that roamed the prairies. warriors woulo
cut Sits in their backs, and into the wound insert
sticks much the the butcher pins his SKEW
ers into the flesh Of a roast. From these STICKS
oor5e were fastened TO a buffalo head and then
the Indian. 10 show his contempt at pain, would
drag the head for distance of three miles. Many
q Young buck tainted from the eXcruclatlng pam
Of the sticks as they dug into his shoulders ana
the buck who could permit the sticks hnaliy 10 De
torn out Of his flesh after the ordeal was endeu
was indeed regarded a brave. Under the superVi-
sion Of the United States Government, however,
these savage rites were forbidden and those guilty
Of trying 10 revive them have been severely pun
,sbed AS the Indians must have their sun dance
they are merely allowed nowadays to gather ana
observe those customs which are free from cruelty
and which would not tend 10 arouse their oldtme
frenzy for blood and warfare.
The sun dance is celebrated by almost all of the
Indian tribes Of North America, and with each
tribe its rites different Among the Ponca
Indians Of Oklahoma, for example its chief feat
IRE at the present time is interchange of gifts,
and on these occasions the rads'Sins give away al
most all they have They celebrated the event this
wear in June on the '1O1" ranch, of the Miller
ranch as it is sometimes called, which is about
thirty miles south Of Arkansas City, Kan.
Than IN
dred Indians present at this dance yet the presents
which were distributed in the 'intermissons' were
valued at $4,000 Blankets worth between 5000 and
5000 We're given by the Indians TO their friends
and in turn received by them from their as
socistes. and nearly one thousand horses were dis
tTibuted gifts.
One Indian came to joe Miller, the superin-
tendent Of the ranch, IL the course Of the dance
and bought a team paying for the two horses $500
in cash. Then he led them out in front of the
crowd and gave them to a friend. A considerable
number Of teams, each valued at $50, were dis
tributed in this offhand fashion. The number Of
yards Of calico OF varegated color that was given
away was almost beyond computation Trunks
also occupied prominent place on the list Of pres
ents. and by the time the dance was drawing to
close there was hardly lodge in the camp that had
not q bright and shining new trunk standing out
IN plain sight. in odd contrast to the dirty tent
flaps, the soiled blankets and battered and fire be-
grimed cooking utensils.
NO other tribe ever gave 50 much, said an Ind
ian TO of the white visitors. He of
the stars Of the Indian police The Osages are
richer than and could give more. but they
don't The Osages are stingy pack" There
was deep scorn in his voice just there had been
pride when first he spoke OF the generosity of his
tribesmen.
The sun dance to the Poncas is of much sig
nhcance worship. Ask a Ponca why the tribe
meets each year for the dance, and the an
swer' although unsatisfactory will impress the
TACT upon one that this is tribal custom and that
ever since time began the Poncas have worshipped
their deity in this fashion. The dance lasts three
days, and then the Indians have other dances for
TWO more days
Forty-eight braves participated this year in the
dances. No squaws had any part in the ceremony
The dancers were divided into bands of from three
70 five. They were naked from the waist up and
each buck was pIentfuly besmeared with paint
Each band had its own color, and each its own
particular pattern in applying the paint In this
respect the dance of each year is Identical with
all that have ever been held before During ths dance
those participating I'm it are supposed 10 abstain
from food or water. II may be that at some time
this regulation was observed with absolute strict
ness. but the palefaces who know pretty we'll the
ways Of their Indian neighbors say they doubt if
the Indians now so three whole DAYS without food .
At any rate. they drink pop" openly but they
say that pop is not water 1t is also considered
no violation Of tribal regulations for the dancer
20 eat watermelon, in case he can find one
Before me ceremonies OF the sun dance begins
leafy bower IS made 10 shelter the dancers A
tall pole. painted white and red in alternate sec
tons eighteen inches, is planted in the ground
A. a distance Of twelve feet from the ground
bunch Of green branches, shaped something like
sheaf Of wheat is dashed in position, giving in
effect rude cross Then young trees or largo
branches that viii stand twelve or fifteen feet in
height when the butts thrust into the ground
are ranged about in circle. with an opening n
the east and within this circle. about fifty feet in
diameter. the braves loll in the shade of the
branches when they are not dancing