The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-07
INDIANS CELEBRATE.
Finding Of Corn-Famine Of Long
AGO Broken tY Discovery.


dances. an annual thanksgiving for
bountifui crops While this cclcbru.
ton Is common to practically all the
tribes. dating back for centuries, yet
it has far more meaning for the
Osages who link with II their thanks.
giving ceremonies In comnemorati1n
of their rescue from famine In 1885.
Travellers in the Usage country at
the present time are being regalad
with accounts Of how the Great Spirit
provided the tribe with seed corn
when they had none for the coming
season
II Is tale IN the telling OF which
the Osages never tire owing TO q
severe drought they had no corn for
the winter months and none for seed.
A large party of the tribe was busy
laying In the winters supply OF meat.
venison and buffalo. and hunting
these animals In what is now the
northern portion Of oklahoma. After
killing buffalo they would dry the
meat. pack II ON horses and carry II
to their camps, then located In the
western part OF the Cherokee nation.
One OF the young chiefs, by name
Nun.tse-tan-ka was accompanied on
this hunt by his bride. lie had only
four ponies, and. therefore, 1t did not
take him long to Kill and dry, with
the aid of his squaw. all the meat that
these four animals could carry. SO,
while the remaining warriors of the
party still pursued the chase after the
buffalo, he, with his bride took up the
return trip homeward following the
| Arkansas river eastward.
Nun.tse.tanka and his bride, on
the evening OF the third day made
/ their camp just above the Salt Fork,
| by dense thicket that ran to the
his horses while his sGuaw prepared
/ their rude shelter OF boughs for the
night, and then, attracted by som,
fresh deer tracks In the mud and sand
he followed them into the thicket
along the river bank.
So Interested did Nun.tse.tankg
become In the chase that he had wan
dered farther than he realized bu
was suddenly awakened to the fac
that the sun was getting very low
and was about on the point OF return
ing when something struck his hand
stopping to investigate he found 4
large ear Of squaw corn. Investigat
ing further he found the whole thick
ct full OF growing corn. lie recog
nized the miraculous presence of the
grain In the densely shaded thicket
where II would be- impossible for or
dinary corn to grow and thrive.
All the next day Nun'tse-tan-ka
and his squaw spent In gathering tn,
corn. three sacks of the choicest ears
being saved for seed In the spring
time. These three sacks were car
ried into the main camp Of the tribe
by Nun.tse.tan.ka and his bride aud
for DAYS afterwards the squaws ~er,
busy harvesting the miraculous grain
getting suficiency for the entire
tribe doing the winter months.
spot Still Pointed Out.
The spot where the corn grew wild
is still pointed out by the Osagcs
aculously provided with the grain
| Nun.tse.tan.ka lived to an extreme
old age, and died about twenty'seven
years ago. His children still survive
and youch for the truth Of the story,
as 1t was often related to them by
their father.
Always AT this season, when the re-
/ turn of roasting ears time Is being OBJ
served the Osages entertain many
I visitors from the other southwestern
/ tribes. and at the present time the
+ Tonkawas dressed In their gaudiest
.
/ and pawnecs are enjoying the hospi'
tality In the green corn dance.
No Indian eats green corn, or roast
| ing ears, until after the usual dance
/ has been held Then they feast on
the ripcning grain for days, This rule
is observed In particular by the
Creeks, for In the forty tyseNen Indian
towns or clans Of the Creek tribe the
annual green corn dances are now be
ing held The Creek Indian rules
tha, he must not eat of the green corn
until after the dance is an old super
stition risidly observed among the full
bloods, The custom is so old that Il
is impossible 70 set clear idea OF It's
origin.
The Greeks AS rule hold the
dances In their various towns at the