The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
HIRED INDIAN MOJ RNERS.
strange Customs and superstltions az the
a Red Men OF Oklahoma

Hardly any OF the Indian Hydrologic,
have been condensed and printed They
have many assistant gods; the snow god
the rain god, the tornado gods and host
OF bigger and lesser gods said Matt DUH
To the Oklahoma correspondent of the
Kansas City Journal Some Of our Okla.
homa Amerinds firmly believe that some
Of their noted ancestors dwell in certain
stars and when they soc so called shoot
ing star-meteor exclaim that a
departed Amerind descended from above
to visit his relatives on earth.
Some of the ignoble red men mourn
with vigor for their dead and have them
entombed in $50 shroud collins Some
have mourners to sing chant or grunt
the great deeds performed by the deceased
The hired mourners have TO abstain from
eating during the mourning They are
tied securely on their ponies 40 that when
sleeping they cannot fall from their horses
Some OF these paid mourners for the dead
refrain from eating for four days and
nights.
AThe last noted mourner was hired to
mourn four days and nights on the ban ks
OF the salty Cimmarron. He was paid
four gallons Of whiskey In advance for his
doleful services. He managed TO drink
all his wages, except one mouthful. before
the LAT five minutes OF his solemn con-
tract He drank the last drink al mid
night Of the fourth day and expired in ten
minutes.
Most OF the Indian parents refrain
from teaching their infants baby talk
The pappooses are taught to speak CORRECTLY
from their birth, or shortly after. White
folks first teach their offspring a iargon
and then take great pains TO unlearn
what they impressed on their minds and
tongues.
Some Of our red men are sun worshippers
have seen many Iowns and Tarvne So
address their prayers and lamentations
to the glorious orb OF day. The Iowas
who have dwinded down 10 eighty
two persons, believe in spirits spiritual
horses. dogs and birds Billy Dole an old
and pappooses up there can see them,
and see lots Of my ponies grazing on the
evergreen prairies, where white men can't
burn the grass
when asked who made the lightning
and thunder. the late Chief Tohee said.
The big. very big thunder, God makes
il to scare the bad people. When he makes
sheet or forked lightning. then he wants
70 just scare bad people; but when he
wants to kill great liar or thief. then he
shoots him to death with a ball Only
one Iowa was ever killed by lightning. Ali
Iowas preserve the account OF that terrible
event with great care. II is taught and
rptold to the Iowa children with religious
precision.
Long ago, when more than 900 Iowas
lived in the state Of Iowa. "A certain fore
most medicine man sent word TO all the
members of the tribe TO come to his wig
wan during the time when The trees were
green and partake Of a nine days feast
Over 10000 assembled at the appointed
place when the flowers were blooming.
Their provisions had been used up. They
were hungry; they were about starving
Then the headmen asked the medicine
man when the promised feast would come
OF Then he laughed like fool and "a id
! just wanted TO deceive, to fool you !
have hardly anything to eat myself just
then the thunder god sent lightning bolt
from the clear sky and killed the grCatest
liar OF the Iowa nation