The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-10-14

violent spirits, the good Indians hnal-
ly succeeded and the faithful were In
the end rewarded by being removed
to the happy hunting grounds That
state OF future existence was one OF
There was to be no heat or cold. no
hunger or thirst. but they were to live
in a condition Of never ending enjoy
ment. following the chase or engaged In
whatever was most pleasing to them.
with nothing to interfere with or mar
their enjoyment
BY the way. George Catlin. one Of
the most observant and interesting
writer's on the subject. tells of cur
ious belief existing among the Dako-
tas as to the difficulties the souls OF
the dead had to encounter before reach
ing their final resting place. They
believed that after death the soul mad
to cross a wide and rapid stream run
ming between two high banks. Across
the stream a slippery pine log was laid
over which the souls had to walk be-
fore they could reach the happy hunt
ing grounds. On the opposite side
from the starting place are stationed
six inhabitants of the hunting grounds
who throw stones at those who are
crossing The good go across without
harm and their troubles are at an end.
but for the bad ones there is hor-
rible fate.
To use the language of an eminent
20 r.
lin crossing over this log the wicked
| see the stones coming and try to avoid
| them, by which they fall from the log
and GO down thousands of feet to the
water which is dashing over the rocks.
/ and which is polluted with dead fish
and animals, where they are carried
| around and continually brought back
| to the same place in whirlpools; where
the trees are all dead and the waters
are full of toads and the like. and the
dead are always hungry and have
nothing to eat. are always sick and
never <ie, where the sun never shines
| and where the wicked are continually
climbing up by thousands on the sides
of the high rock from which they can
| overlook the beautiful country. the
place of the happy hunting grounds,
the place of the happy. but can never
reach It,"
| This was a horrible belief and
calls to mind the river styx Of the an
cient Greeks. and the belief shows no"
finn was their faith in future rewards
| for good Indians and future punish
| ment for the bad ones. Although, as
we have stated. they had faith In the
superior power of the Great Spirit they
also believed that their souls would be
rewarded with good or evil in the fu-
ture state according to their life while
on earth In this. also. their ldeas
were much like those Of more advanced
civilizations.
The original Indians had no churches
ar ministers, as we understand. and use
the terms. They had their priests.
| their doctors and their conJurers. sone-
times all in one and each tribe had It's
own Medicine Lodge. where their
nriests or medicine men held their cere-
monies and went through their mean
atoms and applications to the hiEh-
/
nv xnirits 1t was somewhat like the
Druldical worship of the early inhapl-
| tants of Britain. and constituted the
only forms Of worship usual among the
Indians They depended largely on
charms and incantations in the treat
ment of disease. though they knew
and used many simple remedies. herbs.
sweatinss, etc. Like some more ad-
vanced practitioners they claimed the
credit If the patient recovered but II
he died all the blame was put off on
the Evil Spirit
And so, as stated at the outset, the
religion of the Indians was simple IN
theory, but rather complicated in prac-
tice They firmly adhered to their be-
| uefs. however, and carried them out
according to their lights, 1t is also
proper to add that they had certain
festivals insthe nature of religions
observances which were strictly car
ried out according to custom Thus
they had their scalp dance TO cele-
brate some triumph over their enc
mics. but one of their greatest festi-
| walls at least among our southern
tribes was the famous Boosketau, or
green corn dance, which was held in
| July or August when the corn was
matured The ceremonies attending
this festival sometimes continued eight
days, and 1t was a great occasion with
them. 1t partook of the religious
| character. and each day had its own
modes OF rejoicing or mourning, as the
occasion might demand. varied with
the different nations.