The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-16
ADOPTED BY BLAcKFEET.
The Unusual Experience of Yale Man
 and the Scientific Results of It.

water MCCllnCOck, UI, WHO leCIuTeu in College Street Hall recently in the Sheffield course on Life and Legends of the Blackfeet. has practically given his life, since graduation, to careful in- side study of the traditions, religious rites and ceremonial worship of /this rapidly dying tribe of Indians. He has as result of his life among the Indi- ans obtained an enduring record of this early American folk lore which is of much ethnological value. Says the Yale Alumni Weekly:
 MT. McClintock's first introduction to the country of northwestern Montana was as a member of forestry expedi tion under Dr. Clifford Pinchot, 'S9. In speaking of his experiences MT. Me- Clintock said that his friendship with the guide of thos expedition, Siksaka- koan, a noted Indian scout, who had served under Generals Custer, Miles and Reno, first led him to go among l the Blackfeet. Together he and the Indian scout re-crossed the main range to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains where the Sun Dance En- campment of two thousand Blaekfeet Indians is picturesquely located on the prairies almost under the shadow of the Rockies. Here he was introduced to the leading chiefs of the tribe under | the influential auspices of Siksaka- koan, who was in high standing in the Blackfeet councils, and this opened the way for his most unusual and Inter- esting experiences of Indian life. MT. McClintook remained with them for several months, not merely for pleas ure and adventure, but chiefly to learn as much as possible about their cus- toms, traditions and religion. He formed strong and enduring friend ships with the chiefs and leading men, many of whom have since died.
 He was especially fortunate in hav- ing a warm friendship with Chief Mad Wolf, the greatest orator of the tribe and elder of the sacred ceremonial of the Sun dance. This friendship led to his adoption by Mad Wolf as his white son. The adoption was solem- nized by a formal ceremonial lasting two days, which was held in the pres ence of a large tribal concourse, inclu- ding the head chief and the leading medicine men. He was also formally made member of the tribe, and bap- tlzed with te name of Apeechiken (White WeaseD, one of the animals in the ceremonial sacred to the beavers.
 He continued making annual visits to Mad Wolf during the summer months, living as one of the tribe, sharing in their occupations of herding cattle and horses, hunting big game, attending their dances and even taking part in their sacred eeremonials of the Sun dance and Beaver Medicine. This l intimate relationship gave him access to the treasures or folklore, religious beliefs and ceremonials hidden from the knowledge of white men and pre- served only in the memories of the old CT chiefs and medicine men. He req lized that these older men were rapidly passing away, and that the younger men took no interest in the religion and ceremonials and traditions of their ancestors. He discussed the situation I with Mad Wolf, pointing out the fact tat, under the present conditions and with no written language, all their tra- ditions and ceremonials must soon pass into utter oblivion, leaving no trace be- hind. Mad Wolf recognized the facts of the situation and signi1ed his desire that the Indian ceremonials be pre- served by his white son in the wite mans written language, and granted him every facility for accomplishing this end. The great chief carefully ex- plained their Sun-worship and reli- gious beliefs, the striking and elabo- rate symbolism of their cerenonials and dance movements, sang for him their religious songs, and, upon re- quest, even halted the cerennonials that he might note the words of their prayers and chants, photograph the dancers and take graphophone records of their songs. During these visits, covering period of several years, MT. McClintock has accumulated "a vast amount of material and many hun dreds of photographs, those taken of the oeremonials having special ethno- logical value