Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-17
PLAYING INDIAN.
A Lively Game and Two Dances.
Copyright. 1904. by K. n Birdsan.)

Copyright. 1904 by K. n. Birdsall9
The number of Woodcraft tribes is con-
stantly increasing and will mount well into
the hundreds by the time the snow fles
Among the Woodcraft games none Is live
Her than arrow tag. This Is played among
the Ojibwa and other nations. As will be
seen 1t is something like prisoners base
Any number from, say. eight or ten, up to
twenty-four. may play the game. Two cap
tains choose sides and these line up facing
each other, each side behind its goal. The
goals are anywhere from fifty to a hundred
feet apart. Each player carries an arrow,
and each side deposits on the ground, be-
hind it's base line. certain number or ar
rows agreed upon before the game be-
gins.
To start the play the captains advance
toward the center of the playground, and,
using their arrows in the manner of foils,
exchange four strokes, as If fencing. I'm
mediately, then, one tries to tag the other
with his arrow And this is the signal for
a general advance from both sides.
Every player tries to do two things, first,
tag an opponent and march him as pris-
oner to his goal, second, to seize as many
arrows as he Each side has a guard
with whom the prisoners are left, and an
other guard to protect the arrows.
In capturing the arrows a player may
pick up only so many as he can seize at
Orce with one hand. If successful he car
ries his prize to his own goal but, of
course he runs the risk of being tagged by
the arrow guard and then made prisoner.
Any prisoner may be rescued by tagging.
but the player who attempts to rescue one
Of hts own men is also in danger of being
tagged by the guard and being himself .n-
prisoned.
The game lasts until one side has cap
tured all its opponents, and consequently
all the arrows. as well. There are definite
boundary lines, outside of which the play
ers must not go. 1t Is an intensely fasci-
mating game. and just the kind for the cool
days of autumn. 1t may be very success
fully played on ice, ska ting. 1t combines
the games of tag and prisoners base and
has the added interest Of winning arrows
prizes.
There was a big camp meeting in Windy
goul at the village Of Standing Rock, on
the thirteenth sun of the Green Corn Moon
by special invitation of Black Wolf the
medicine man. This was probably The larg-
est meeting in the history of the Wood
crafters. The tribes represented vera the
Flying Eagles Of New York, the King Birds
of Morristown. the Setting Sun tribe of
Riverside. the Red Trails of Forest Hill,
the Sinawas of Cos Cob and the Mohicuns
OF Greenwich.
The most picturesque feature was the
dancing around the big fire at night Most
| OF the chiefs and many of the braves had
costumes: nearly all wore feathers which
| they had won in notable achievements.
! There were two Indian tom-tom drums in
camp. so that the warriors did not lack for
the beating of time.
The snake dance was the ia yo..re In
this the dancing line joins hands as boys
dc for the game of snap the whip, except
that the leader faces to the right. the one
| behind him to the left. the next to the
right. the next to the left, and so on alter
nately. The step is short, quick and jerky-
| almost hop. almost shuttle. The leader
| decides upon the course. This may be a
/ - tivv,ao
/ then a letter 8. then a loop made l,y the
| line passing through itself at some point
| The figures bend down more or less as they
dance. and at intervals utter weird, shrill
cries.
Another dance that was much enjoyed
| was the caribou dance. This among the
| real Indians. Is sort of ceremony in which
| the Great Spirit is entreated to send the
! Indians meat for food The warriors form
| circle, open at one side for small space.
| They stand for a time. silent as if eN-
! pecting something important /, happen.
| After awhile three braves. with twigs On
| their heads to represent the horns of the
| elk come slowly out of the woods In single
| file. They enter the circle, and then march
side by side, stopping here and there to
| the moose. All this time there is no other
| sound: but at signal from the leader the
| tom-tom begins to beat and all join in the
| dance.
| The Flying Eagles are fortunate to have
| as member of their tribe Mamuskawash
boy who has spent much time among the
| OJloWa Indians, and is thus familiar with
| their custom and ceremonies He Is indeed
| an OJibwa by adoption. The council last
| year, at the suggestion of Black Wolf
| awarded him grand coup for his skill in the
| Indian dance.
| During the encampment Mai. Baker sat
| around the fire with the braves one night
| and related several tales of adventure he
| had had years ago in the far west Among
| these narratives was bear story that
| brought many grunts of approval from the
| warriors, besides calls for more
| 1t seems there had been signs of a big
bear near camp for several days-or rather
| nights. The one dog they had was restless
| and apparently scented big game. On a
| certain day when there was to be no work
for this was a surveying party-it was de-
| cided that everybody join in the grand
| hunt for the big bear. Each hunter carried
I heavily loaded gun. and of course the
| party was considerably spread out so as to
cover wide tract. Major Baker explained
! that he was at the right hand of the party,
| and that after tramping long distance he
| heard numerous shots away to his left
| This convinced him that the game was at
| bay and that it required more than one load
| of buckshot to bring him down. He hur-
| ried In the direction of the shooting and
/ found the brave hunters firing at target.
| Brun had not been seen.
| Slowly they sauntered back to the camp
| and found that the big bear had been doing
| some hunting on his own account. In fact,
| he had taken advantage of the party's alb
| sence to enter the camp and help himself
| BALD EAGLE.
L