The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-10-16
LAST GRASS DANCE
OF The BLACKFEET

/
northwestern Montana viii be thrown
open for white settlers next spring.
Louis w. Hill. president of the Great
Northern railway, has seized upon the
New York land show as vehicle for
a novel primer lesson in assimilation
looking TO the civilization OF this
tribe The experiment has the sane
ton OF the officials at Washington and
its working out no doubt will be
watched with keen interest by Presi-
dent Taft and Secretary of the Inter-
Tor Fisher.
The most intelligent Blackaeet
braves that could be found upon the
reservation will be brought to the
Madison Square Garden exposition
Nov. 3. and the hope is they win 60
back to their people imbued with the
agricultural idea. Before the land of
the Blackfeet reservation is opened to
the white men each Indian is to be
allotted farm. The education which
the picked representatives Of this fast
passing race will derive from attend
Ing the greatest land show on earth
is expected to have great influence in
simplifying the United States govern
ment's process of assimilating the
other 5,997 Indians. These three red
emissaries certainly will have wonder
full tales to tell OF New York and the
land show when they return to the
council tepee near Browning, Mont.
The native environment of the
Blackfeet tribe has gradually disap-
peared with the thinning out OF their
numbers. Congress last year dealt
severe blow to them when 1t set aside
a territory larger than the state OF
Rhode Island and established Glacier
National park. Glacier park adjoins
the reservation on the west and this
vast area was Of course closed to the
Indians as a hunting ground. The
area Of Uncle Sans newest national
park abounds in big game of all kinds.
but the Blackfeet Indian was left only
to look at this inviting hunting sec
ton with tears in his eyes-for the
forest rangers patrol the dead lire
and keep the red men out.
So with this great natural game
preserve of the Rocky Mountains gone
from him and his reservation about
to slip from his domain, the Black
feet brave now must give up his rifle
and bow to the inevitable. The trans
formation comes with cruel sudden
ness to the Blackfeet. There is moth
ing left for him but to try and be a
farmer.
Sympathy for poor 10 runs deep in
Louis w. Hill, railway magnae, twhose
duty 1t is to help develop the north
west. Himself a landscape artist and
q lover of things natural, his heart
goes out to these fated people at the
cross roads In their lives.
IF this is to be, helping hand is
what they most need now, and prop
er guidance will be a great factor in
adjusting them to such a complete
change In their mode Of living" Mr..
Hill soliloquized. And straightway he
secured United States governments
approval to have the most promising
progressives of the Blackfeet tribe Sc
lected to go to the New York land
show, that they might see for them
selves what agriculture really means.
What impressions the red men will
carry back to. their prairie homes is a
matter Of much anticipation to the
son Of the great railway builder, who
hit upon this avenue to civilization as
a practical means in "the white mans
process OF assimilation.
The last grass dance Of this pictur-
esque people was a ceremony not soon
to be forgotten by the few white peo-
pie who were fortunate enough to be
present The weird ceremonies were
participated in by 5000 redskins.
Many Of them are land wealthy and all
are regarded as an industrious peo-
pie. The grass dance Is of a. religi-.
GUS nature. The Indians think it calls
the attention of the gods to the fact
that the tribe desires a good season.
with plenty of grass for their horses.
In the old days the welfare of the buff
falo was the central idea of this pray-
erful religious ceremony. for if there
wasn't plenty OF grass the large herds
OF btsons wouldn't come into this |
country. And a scarcity of buffaloes
meant hunger to the Indians, no cIo- |
thing, lack of skins with which to
make tepees, beds and many other |
things which the redmen had to have. |
So. there was some sense to this trod- |
ding OF the grass in their appeal to |
the gods, the Indians thought.
But the buffalo is gone and these /
grass dancers are following fast upon
the same trail to the happy hunting |
grounds.
When the yellow, un-burned plains
or the Blackfeet reservation are
turned over by the plough and seed is
planted, there probably win be small
groups Of grass dancers here and
there. while the Indians wait for their
grain to come forth.
Let US all join in the prayer that
the gods" shall hear them and that |
great fields Of wheat and fax appear
for these transformed people.
The Blackfeet are the highest TYNE
Of indian. Their integrity, fortttude
chastity and admirable dignity place |
them on a pedestal above all other
tribes Of savages. The Blackfoot il a |
frank. simple being, yet he is unusu-
ally cunning when the occasion de-
mands. His sense of llumor is keen
and Of the hard. impressive kind.
Some OF his customs are extremely
comical. For example, a Blackfoot
must never meet his mother in law.
Should he ever get his wires crossed"
and meet her unawares, the tribal |
customs penalties him by demanding
that he make her a handsome gift.
So, the Biackfoot has even better rea-
son than the white man for avoiding
his mother law.
Il