Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-15

place as soon after death as the arrange
ments can be completed The clothing and
personal effects Of the departed are con-
sumed with the body, together with a guam
tity Of food to last the spirit on It's Journey
to the realm Of pleasure, whence II Is bound.
The house is also burned, that those who
survive may not be reminded Of one who
is gone. for. they say. memory is but sor-
row; therefore let us forget"
The Ute Indians place the bodies Of their
dead in caves. many bodies being entombed
within a single cavern. After each en-
tombment the mouth OF the cave Is stopped
with sticks and stones to keep out animals,
and the place is not again visited TIL the
next interment takes place. The prepare
tion OF the body for burial is simple No
change is made In the clothing, the limbs
being Strengthened and the weapons of the
deceased, il a male or household imple-
ments II a woman being placed beside the
body. The male friends OF the deceased
shoot the horses and cattle which belonged
to him and burn his house and personal
effects. The female friends, whose duty
It is TO prepare the body for the tomb, bear
the remains to their last resting place,
uttering hideous cries during the march to
the sepulcher.
In the western part Of Utah, in the Great
ooih iseAhS utotANt 10 a NdllN9 Ntilto 9hhit
valley, because of the great number of
human skulls and bones found there. This
locality is the home of the Gosh-Ute In
dams. who have one of the most unique
burial customs known. This consists in
weighing the body with stones and sink
ing It in the mud and water Of the few
springs to be found I'm that region of thirst.
The Mojave Indians cremate their dead
upon funeral pyre, similar to that Of the
Yumas. While the body is being con-
sumed certain priests or poet singers run
about the pyre chanting the praises of the
departed. The incineration takes place at
night, and the ceremonies are weird and
uncanny in the extreme.
A Curious Custom.
The Anchomawi Indians of California
have curious custom which is part burial
and part cremation. They dig hole in the
ground of sufficient depth to admit the body
standing, leaving only the head above the
level of the ground. The head is then cut
Off, the weapons and personal effects Of the
deceased are placed in the grave beside
the body, together with quantity Of food,
and the grave is then filed Then faggots
are placed upon the grave and the head is
burned to ashes thereon. During the burn
ing the friends and relatives stand about
and chant a mournful song.
The Yo-kai-a Indians practice cremation
accompanied by elaborate demonstrations
of grief and the chanting of songs. They
visit the abode of the departed daily for a
year. sprinkling meal upon the ground to
serve as food for the spirit When a woman
loses her husband she mixes his ashes with
pitch making a white paste, and smears
It around her head. making a white band
about two inches wide, which she wears as
badge of mourning.
The Kelta Indians believe that when one
of their tribe dies a little bird takes the
spirit and starts with it for the spirit
world. II the departed has lived a worthy
life the bird reaches the happy land and the
spirit dwells there forever. II, however,
the life has been an evil one, a cruel hawk
catches the bird and devious it, together
with the soul which 1t is bearing, and both
perish miseraby.
The Karok Indians of California perpetu-
ate the memory Of their departed friends
by abstaining from all mention of them.
II one is so forgetful as to mention the
name of one of the dead, the others are
shocked, for II is their belief that the men,
ton of the name causes the body or bones
in the grave to turn and moan, and the
spirit is halted on it's journey toward the
spirit land. In fact, the mention of the
name of q departed friend is q deadly in
suit to the living relatives, and is punish
able by the laws of the tribe with the
same penalty as murder, a very heavy
fine, known as blood money."-Los An