Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
PLAYING INDIAN.
Bald Eagle Tells Of Mr. Ernest Thompson Sston's
''Woodcrafters

''wosdcrafters
1t was a happy thought that came to Mr..
Ernest Thompson Seton when he decided to
tell us boys and girls something of what he
knows about the woods and the wild folks
who live there; and happier still that he put
so much Of it in the form of Playing Indian.
For there isn't any better sport going. and
Mr.. Seton himself is intensely enthusiastic
about 1t. Anyone who has seen him camp
ing. whether putting up the teepees and
making things comfortable, or engaging in
the deer hunt, or telling "Injun" stories
around a roaring fire, will bear witness to
his knowledge of woodcraft and to mis- gen.
uine love of it.
For the information Of those who may not
know much about woodcraft and its sport.
1t may be said that there are hundreds of
tribes all over the United States. organized
with chiefs. councillors. medicine man and
Sc forth, VINO camp in teepees in true indian
fashion. who use bows and arrows in place
CT fire arms. who kindle their council fire
with rubbing sticks instead OF matches.
who use eagle feathers for prizes in ath-
letic contests and who are learning great
deal about birds, animals plants. trees and
the like. in their native haunts. 1t Is great
sort.
Mr.. Seton or Chunka -Sapa (Black WolO,
as we should call him. wants to create as
many woodcrafters as possible. He Is the
big medicine man of the whole nation. and
is interested in hearing about new tribes
wherever they are formed. But there Is
nothing exclusive about it, Wherever a tribe
CT band Is formed it becomes member Of
the whole nation by Just sending in the
name and address Of the chief and the name
CT the tribe. And membership doesn't cost
q penny.
Another good thing Is that a tribe may
be large small One boy who is crippled
and therefore cannot go to the woods to
camp is a very devoted player. Another
boy wrote that he lived on the ground
where he Lenni I.enape Indians once lived
and that he had formed tribe by the same
rame. However. there were no boys near
by that re could camp with. and SO he Is
the whole tribe himself-chief, brave and
medicine man. Other tribes number any
where from two or three up to thirty or
forty members.
AS Mr. Seton says. the first thing Is to
get your boys together. He also favors
tribes CT squaws, and tells about tribe
where the mother of one boy was the medi-
cine man of the tribe to which the boy be-
longs. 1t very often happens that mothers
and other friends are much interested in
the play. and frequent visitors at the camp.
In choosing chiefs and leaders care should
be taken to select those who are best fitted
for the various places The head war chief
should be plucky and brave and strong. He
should also be popular for he has to en-
force the laws and keep order IN the camp.
The importance of this ought to be under
stood before the voting for chief begins.
One band out in Illinois had a course Of
games before the officers were chosen. They
fitted ont their camp just as any group of
boys would, and then had some of their con-
tests. The boy who won the most honors
was unanimously elected head war chief.
The important thing just now is to make
up your mind to play Indian. Even If you
already have other outing plans made, re-
solve 10 put as much woodcraft in them as
possible. Keep this In mind. it is not nee
essary tC go away far to play Indian.
Many 4 band this summer will have its wig
wan right III backyard at home. OF course
il such place the swimming and boating
and deer hunting will be lost, but you Will
have provisions near at hand, you can play
many OF the woodcraft games. you can
camp out more or less all summer, and
thus save the expense of trip.
There is room here for just word to tell
what some Of the woodcraft sports are.
The bes: game Is the deer hunt, and for that
there should be woods. or brush of some
kind. After this athletics, nature study.
archery, photographing and the like all
come IN. There are walking running and
jumping contests throwing stunts. bicycle
races, difficult clever tricks with cam
era sucn as good pictures of wild animals
in their I.2tive places exploits with the DOW
and arrow. and knowledge of the custom
and habits of birds and animals.
AS prizes feathers dre given, and these
may be made into a war bonnet that will
show the achievements Of every brave. The
prizes as well the requirements are
graded according to the age of the players.
for there are enthusiastic woodcrafters
from SIX years old all the way to fifty.
Next week we will talk about teepees and
camping utensils BALD EAGLE.