Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1912-11-28


z II carried around
i M &1 the world, and
I'M " everywhere 1t has
c~--==e2-> - been welcomed as
an important ad-
dition to the short list of homestead
ed fowls.
The turkey was introduced into
Spain in 1920, and into England in
1924, and soon was reared as a barn
yard fowl in both countries. Not for
nearly half century was it taken to
France. So far as can be learned.
the first turkey ever seen In that
country was shipped in 1870 from Bos-
ton, then little settlement in the al
most unknown American wilderness,
for the delectation of the guests at
the wedding feast of King Charles TX
and Elizabeth of Austria.
Civilized man prizes the turkey
solely as table delicacy but strange.
ly enough, the American Indians es-
teemed it more for the sake of it's
feathers than for its flesh. When the
bow and arrow constituted the most
important weapon of war and of the
chase, feathers were of the greatest
utility to the tribespeople, being at
tached to the shafts of their arrows
to give them buoyancy, and to cause
them to carry straight. For this pur-
pose, most of the tribes employed the
feathers Of eagles, some those of tur-
keys, and some those of both birds.
The Cheyennes. whose hunting
grounds comprised most of the pres
ent state of Wyoming. are said to
have used turkey feathers exclusively
for their arrows, and were known to
the neighboring tribes by name that
signified striped arrows" in refer
ence to this preference. The Apaches,
also, used turkey feathers for arrow
making, as did the Navajos, Sioux,
Arapahoes and many other tribes al
though no others employed them SO
exclusively as did the Cheyennes and
Apaches.
Beyond doubt the most striking and
attractive headdress ever worn by
bonnet of the western Indians. 1t was
composed of the tail feathers Of tur
keys or eagles depending upon the
practice Of the tribe) 1t was fash
Toned to encircle the crown of the
wearer's head and extend down his
back to the ground. The war bonnet
was worn only by chiefs, and every
feather was supposed to represent a
separate deed of valor.
In the ceremonial dances. strange
and grotesque masks are worn by the
participants, some of whom personate
the nature gods, while others take the
role Of the clan ancients. Many Of
these masks, are deliberately decorated
with feathers of turkeys, eagles, owls
hawks and other birds. In the deco
ration of the affairs erected on cere
monial occasions for the worship o.
the nature-gods, feathers are conspic
uous. But perhaps the most common
use of feathers is in the making o.
prayer sticks. which are planted a
springs, by the banks of running
streams. near the shrines of the gods
in the fields where crops are growing
or where seed has been planted, anC
in hooks and crannies among tn,
rocks. The prayer sticks are made b!
the priests and given to the people
Analogous to the use of feathers IL
, the making of prayer sticks and alta
decorations, is their employment To-
the making of fetishes, used by tn,
various secret orders, or fraternitiee
These fetishes, of course, possess
magical virtues, understood only b.
the initiated. Among the Zuni is
: fraternity known as the "Hlewekwe
: or sword swallowers. The Sword" 4
a long. wooden implement, which Il
, the order is thrust far down into tn
throat of the performer and thel
withdrawn. To the upper end of tn
Sword" Is attached large bunch o
, the tail feathers of the turkey, t
which. of course, the ceremony owe
, much of its supposed magical power.
, This dance OF the sword swallower
is important for the reason that 1t 1
! supposed to bring the SHOWS of win
ter. which melt and sink into tn
ground thus preparing the soil 70
, the reception OF the seeds at planting
time in the spring.
, Feathers OF many birds, and particu
larly of the turkey, are used in tn
sports and games of the Indians. Tn
game of "Pokiianni," a favorite anon
the Zuni, is played with shuttlecock
, made of corn husks and turkey featt
ers. Fetishes are made by the priest
for foot racers, consisting mainly O
, feathers from the legs Of turkeys
oh s.1rronad a cri1ra Aaafra aa