The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-08-01
AMONG cHEYENNEs.
Indian Tribe That Holds to Its Mar.
rage Customs in Spite of
Civilization

iie SAcySAAGS nave duNduCtu III
the ways of civilization, but they still
cling to their old marriage custom.
Before he is eligible for the hand of
a young woman of more than ordi-
nary charms the young man must
have distinguished himself by some
feat of bravery or accumulated prop
erty.
Cour,ship begins usually at a dance
attended by the young people of the
village. The girls sit by themselves
at one side of the tepee and the young
men at the. other All wear their
finest toggery. A peculiar feature
Of their dress is that each wears
blanket concealing all except their
eyes.
The love sick Indian swain gazes
necessarily from the corner of one eye
at his possible sweetheart. She re-
spends by arising and dancing round
the fire and seals her choice by cuff
fing him on the ear. This she does
several times, her last stroke some
times almost knocking the young man
from his seat, to the nerriment OF
the onlooKers. The two then dance
together, often with other couples, un.
til late at night.
In a few days the young man goes
and stands near the tepee OF the girls
father. The observaat mother calls
her daughters attention to the pres
ence of Running Panther, or what
ever his name may be. The girl, &C.
cording to custom, must advance from
the tepee. If she runs away the evil
dence is indisputable that she is
firt and that the young man has been
Tilted. If she is sincere, she stands
coquettishly looking in a direction
away from the young man. He ad-
vances and drops blanket over both
their heads. He has made great prog
ress and rivals might as well go
hunting. The two stand under the
blanket and talk to their hearts con-
tent. 1t would be improper for 9TH
er persons in the camp to take notice
Of them.
The next step is for the young man
to visit the girls father and make
known the value of his property,
usually in ponies, which is offered
20 the father in exchange for his
daughter. The old man takes the pro-
posal under advisement..
One ardent lover whom I recall hav-
ing been stripped of all his ponies
by the vicissitudes of war gave him
self to chief to get the latter's
daughter, and was accepted. For
years the old chief called upon his
faithful son-in-iaw to perform all man.
ner of hazardous ard dangerous tasks
The son-in-law obeyed loyalty so long
as the old man lived, and at the lat
ter's death said CALAMITY that the
gift of the old mans daughter had
we'll repaid him for all the sacrifices
he had made
The father having accepted the
gifts of the young man the latter
brings the affair to a close by lying
On the ground at the old mans tepee
curled like dog to show how abject
and faithful he will be. The father
then invites his future son-in-law in
to the tepee and names the day for
the marriage ceremony.
A new tepee in which no one has
ever slept is now prepared by the
girls mother. Upon its completion
the girl is placed inside Friends of
the young brave now seek him out
and place him in the tepee The door
is closed and stick placed across it,
which means that no one may enter
And the marriage ceremony is at an
end.-Kansas City Star.
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