Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-10-01
ANCIENT BARRARoUs RITE NO
LONGER PERMITTED.
GOVERNMENT SAYS NO
Festival of Creation, Centuries Old
May Not Be Celebrated Again
Has Had Human Sacrifices in the
Past-It is an Ancient Cere-
mony.

The sun dance given by Chief Kiote
Robe and $50 of his Cheyenne braves
at Clinton, Okla, last week is perhaps
the last exhibition of the kind ever to
be seen in Oklahoma. Instructions
were given to the Indian chiefs of Ok
lahoma recently that after this year
all forms of ancient customs, espec-
tally those of a barbaric nature, must
be abolished. The Indians were
given permission, however, to partici
pate once again in their old time Gus
tom of the sun dance, but this must
absolutely be the last time it will be
permitted. They were also cautioned
that in this last performance, that
nothing of painful nature, such as
the Indians long ago were wont to in
dulge in, would be allowed.
1t is said that many years ago the
sun dance was observed by the
Cheyennes with many CHASTITY cere-
monies. The general custom was for
some one member of the tribe, find
ing himself threatened with some IA
tai disease, to offer his body for
the sacrifice to be made, suffering the
torture inflicted, and finally succumb-
ing to the fatal wounds inflicted.
At the same time the sun dance IS
festival of creation It's form Of
ceremonial commentaries the making
of the ancient world by the great
medicine and the roaring thunder
from above, who is the chief of the
air and the winds. # repre- sents the
creation of the earth and all that is on
it, the water and it's fishes, the blue
sky, sun, moon and stars, the clouds
and the rainbow. One Of the most
important features of the old-time fes-
tival was the erection of a huge
lodge, somewhat after the fashion OF
a circus tent, which was supposed to
represent the ancient world. A tall
tree was stripped of its branches and
set up as sacred pole,'' from the top
of which hung two long rawhide
thongs. The ends of these thongs
were fastened in the flesh of the
breast of the man who undergoes the
ordeal. This part of the dance just
given by the Indians, was of course
eliminated.
Knives were formerly thrust
through the flesh of the man in his
back and hips, and shorter thongs
were passed through the loops thus
mode. To the ends Of each of these
thongs a buffalo skull was securely
tied so as to drag on the ground.
The voluntary victim danced around
the pole until the thongs were jerked
from his breast and then ran until
those attached to his back and hips
were pulled loose. Meanwhile his
kinsmen stood near chanting the
weird ceremonial songs and urging
him to bear his suffering bravely.
Everybody took part in some way,
under the direction of the priests, or
medicine men, dancing and by other
means working themselves up into
quasi-religious enthusiasm, and the eel
ebration lasted several days. Usually
the torture undergone by the prin-
cipal performer continued for num-
Der of hours the blood running down
his body in streams, and occasionally
it happened that he died before he
was able to release himself. But no
semblance of the old-time barbarism
is INDUCED in at this last dance.
The Cheyennes also have cactus
dance, but no performance of this
kind was given, their festivities be-
ing limited to one day. In the cour Sc
of the cactus dance the performers
acquire a curious dizziness by chewing
the hearts of species of cactus. The
effect produced seems to be something
like that of hasheesh, the person be-
ing thus intoxicated being wide awake
yet dreaming. One cactus heart each
hour is sufficient to maintain the con-
dition described for days, the dream
ing being encouraged by the monoto-
nous drumming that is kept up all the
time.
The sun dance as a ceremony is
unique, and extremely interesting. In
dams usually have some form of or
deal through which the warriors go,
whether as a preliminary to admission
to the ranks of the braves or for other
reasons. Bat this particular cere-
monial is of an exceptional character
in many respects, and thus, as well
as on account of it's antiquity, has
excited the earnest attention as well
as curiosity of the public.