The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-03

1 in a corral specially built for the occa-
| sion. and dance around a big pole twenty
| five feet in height until exhausted; then
! after a brief rest renew the dance, and
l so continue for four days and nights with
/ out speaking During this time they
/ neither drink nor eat
Little Clothing Worn.
The dancers wear nothing hut a kind
/ Of apron around their waists reaching
/ half way To- the knees; and their skins
are hideOusly painted HSuaHy one large
/ feather is worn in the hair which hangs
/ loose down their backs. The dance con-
Slst Of jumping stiff-iegged up and down
while the dancer blows whistle made
/ from the second bone Of the eagles
wing.
Suspended from the big center pole in
| the corral is either a buffalO's head or
large disc made of wood upon which
Is painted a picture of the sun: Upon
/ this object the dancer keeps his eyes
constantly trained. During the four days
dance there is a relay of musicians con-
stantly on duty and the sounds they pro-
duce are the most weird of any in their
repertoire
The dance is also a dance of forti-
tude. and he who can best endure the
trials of the long and tedious ordeal is
considered the most capable of filling the
high offices in the tribe. especially that
Of medicine man In former days the
dancers would torture themselves while
dancing by cutting into their flesh and
hanging themselves TO the center pole
by cords pierced through the flesh of
their chests. But the government put a
stop 10 this practice years ago. and it
was at this time that the Indians, out
Of pride and Temorse. changed the name
of their great religious ceremony to that
of the harvest dance.
New Spot Each Year.
The same spot Of ground is never used
the second time for this dance Each
year q new corral is built The day be
fore the dance a large tree is cut down
and out of II is made the center pole.
and there are number of smaller poles
made ready for the event Holes are
dug and the poles laid on the ground near
by. always in a line to east and west.
Then ON the first day Of the dance
priest appears and goes through a sol
emn ceremony. and the poles are put into
the holes, after which the dance be
gins
The dance ended. the dancers 20 among
the spectators and give presents. and all
who have prayers to offer the great spirit
throw them I'm writing on skins or other
material around the big pole and leave
the place never to return
Each week, usually on Sunday, there
8 among the I ties "A celebration which
they call the turkey dance This is of a
social nature and Is INDUCED in by the
men only. The dress upon this occasion
is usually leather leggingS reaching from
the waist to the ground leaving the body
bare from the waist up. The upper pOr-
ton of the body is deliberately painted
and the dancer wears a hustle made of
feathers.
The dancers move around the corral
while they represent the killing of the
wild turkey or the bear or any other
animal which is predetermined.
This ceremony Is copied after the dog
dance of the Sioux. who toasted on dog
meat at the close of the dance But the
Utes do not eat dog meat. and so when
they adopted the dance they discarded
that portion Of it and changed the name
to that of the turkey dance.