Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-06-20

The National Government mas put
a stop to the sun dances by the Sho-
shone Indians, writes the Lander
(Wyoming) correspondent of the New
York World. With the giving up of
this cruel, barbarous, grotesque cere-
mony, which the savages regarded as
religious, the Shoshones have taken
another unwilling step In their en-
forced march toward civilization.
They would retrace 1t If they could.
The terrible physical tortures the sun
dance involved were as nothing to
them compared with the spiritual de-
lights afforded them.
An Indian cannot live without
something in the nature of religious
ceremony which is alike grotesque
and disquieting. The Winnebagoes
over in Nebraska, surrounded with
churches, schools and all the other
things that go to make up civilization,
have formed society which imposes
upon its members the drinking of
mescal, a drug far more hurtful in
it's effects than morphine, as a relig-
ious duty. The Shoshones may not
introduce a mescal as a substitute
for the sun dance, yet there is no
telling what they may do in the name
of religion.
The Indians believed firmly that by
dancing this dance they worshiped
and propitiated the Great Spirit, pro-
cured through the favor of that spirit
an abundance of rain and bountiful
crops, and won the rare privilege Of
seeing and communing with the spir-
its Of relatives and friends who had
gone to the happy hunting grounds.
1t was by this means, too, that bucks
were converted into warriors, and
that other objects dear to the heart
of an Indian were achieved.
Endurance of Indians.
No one but fanatical savage
could dance the sun dance, for no
sane, civilized human being could
muster the physical strength begot-
ten of religious frenzy to 90 through
it. Think Of dancing three days and
three nights without food or drink!
Think of running long strips Of
tanned deer hide under the big pee
toral muscles covering the front of
your chest, tying the ends of them to
big pole and then throwing your
body back with such force as to tear
them out through those muscles!
That is wnat the sun-dancer did.
A sun dance takes place in a round
inclosure about thirty feet in dame
ter. with big pole in the centre of
1t. On the top of this pole Is fast
ened the head of dead buffalo. 1t
is to this buffalo head that the dane
ers look and pray for strength to go
through the three days ordeal in
volved in the dance. The Indians
dance around the pole for three days
and three nights If their strength
holds out that long.
The dance goes forward to the mo-
notonous beating of a tom-tom. Each
dancer has little whistle, which he
blows constantly for some inscruta-
BILE purpose while he is dancing The
sayases dance back and forth be-
tween the outer edge of the inclos-
ure and the pole in the centre of it.
Whenever one of them get so weak
that he can stand no longer without
support he lays hold upon the pole
and, looking up beseechingly to the
buffalo head, prays fervently tn it
for renewed strength.
He stands there in his paint and
feathers clinging to the pole for sup
port and praying to the buffalo head
for renewed strength until he Is able
to go on with the dance again. He
has a firm and unalterable faith that
the buffalo head possesses power to
answer his prayer, and he makes his
supplication to the poor inanimate
thing with all the earnestness and elo-
quence Of which he Is capable.
Before the dance begins those as
signed to take part In it, who are not
already warriors-the young bucks
who have not yet won their spurs
run the strips of tanned deer hide
under the muscles covering the front
of their chests and, by throwing their
bodies back, tear those strips out
through those muscles.
The .'oung buck who inflicts this
punishment upon himself becomes
thereby full-fledged warrior and Is
recognized and honored as such from
that time forward.
The sun dancers pray to the buffalo
head not only for strength for them
selves, but for rain and bountiful
crops, as well as for all blessings In
whatever kind. Among other things
they pray that they may be granted
the inestimable privilege of seeing