The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-08
Spirits of Animals Protect Indians Who
Stalk in City Streets e: ss:: = z: : :.

'efore he b deemed worthy of adoption
ne must show himself to be acceptable.
according to the standards of the Indiana.
The chief remaining ceremony at
tendant upon an Indian adoption to-day
is the sweat lodge. Passing through the
sweat lodge is supposed to purify The
spirit of the white man, he il ahut nm
IN little hut, just big enough 10 hold
MIN, and hot stones are placed on the
ground inside the building. Hot water u
poured over the stones to make steam and
induce heavy perspiration. Sweet rr.ss
also is thrown into the hut and the scent
Is SAID to carry wonderful purifying
powers.
II the white man has been adopted m
a boy he is instructed in religious mstter.
by an old man who teaches him about
the Great Mystery, the most powerful
spirit in the Indian religion to whom the
worshipper never prays direct, but always
through the mediation of the Sun or one
of his helpers,
Silent on Great Mystery.
After an Indian boy is ten years old he
never speaks of the Great Mystery.
although he may talk about his helpers.
In the same way, If the white man is
initiated into the tribe rs q warrior. or
even helper to the Official women cooks
who prepare the ceremonial feasts. he
never speaks to an Indian Of his tribe
about the Great Mystery.
1t is customary to adopt white men into
the tribe in the full estate of warrior. in
which case they do not go through the
forms of initiation which mark the
transition from boy to warrior.
But in cases where d white man entsrs
a tribe as boy, he is instructed first in
religion, and when about to enter into the
estate of manhood he fasts for four DAYS.
After that he goes away alone to some
lake or stream for contemplation, and
while there it is supposed certain animal
persons appear to him, arising out of the
water. These animals of the Imagination
may be bears, tortoises, deer, rabbits or
Others, and the frst one to appear is
usually accepted as the totem for the
faster.
In the case of the Indian these dream
animals are so real that were they actu-
ally present he could not believe more
thoroughly in their existence. The ex-
citement, and the condition of mind
caused by fasting prepare him for these
hallucinations.
A white man who does nee- undergo
this form of initiation receives some
totem from the family by which he is
adopted. Thereafter the animal which
the totem represents is supposed to pro-
tect him and work for his protection.
For instance. If the bear Is the totem
of . white man, the spirit of the bear
will watch over him and help him out of
difficulties. He is entitled to call upon
the spirit of the bear when in need of
help and, at least when he Is hunting in
company with Indians, it would be a
breech Of ethics to kill q bear except in
dire extremity.
If for any reason or By mistake he
should kill a bear he must offer prayer
of apology to the spirit of the bear. All
Indians do this whenever they kill an
animal which represents their totem.
How thoroughly the Indians believe
that adoption changes the personality
and life of a person is shown in its rela-
ton to the marriage laws. 1t is one of .
the most strict rules among Indians that
members of one clan must not intermarry.
No man of a tortoise clan is permitted
to marry a woman of that clan. and clan
ship is inherited through the mother.
Thus it would be possible for cousins
related through the male line to inter
marry, but not for cousins of the female
line
There was a case, which is not uncom-
mon, of two sisters being adopted BY the
Sioux. They were Indians themselves,
but one was adopted into the clan of the
Deer and the other into the clan of the
Heron. By the ceremony their blood was
20 changed that it would be permissible
'or their descendants to intermarry.
Recently when Mr.. Demming returned
from the West he carried a message to
DR.. Wissler to the effect that the two
lged women who had adopted him
wanted that nephew of theirs to send
hem some money, for they needed it"
Aids His Indian "Aunts."
DR.. Wissler recognized the claim of kin
hip and sent his "aunts" money enough
or their present needs.
But the Indians also put themselves
lnder certain obligations to the white man
when he is adopted into a tribe. He is
Untitled to share of the legacies left by
lis adopted relatives and sometimes these
are Of considerable value.
For long time the officers of the
american Museum of Natural History
vere trying to obtain certain specimens
I Indian pottery. They were willing to
o to considerable expense TO obtain the
rticles they wished, but were unable to
btain them. Then one of Dr. Wissler,s
dopted aunts died and left him no end
( trinkets, blankets and odd bits of
ousehold goods. Among them were
ieces of pottery such as the museum
ad been trying hard to buy.
There always is great deal of senti-
tent attached to the adoption of white
ian into an Indian tribe, and the degree