Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-01
Sun Dance Disappearing.

The hideous but sacred sun dance,
cherished for ages blythe Cheyenne ana
Arapaho Indians, is losing It's grip
among those tribes. Not because OF us
hideousness, but missionaries ana IN
dian agents have induced the younger
heads TO eliminate many Of the tor-
lures that made the amusement, So
called. almost UNDESIRABLE. The older
Indians. resentful of any interference
with The rites which they believed nee
ossary to the publication of. their souls,
have shown a disposition to apanaeh
the dance almost entirely.
The dance recently held at Calumet
was not a success. one Oh the ieduiiis
particinants explained that the not
sun. together with the campaign pelns
waged against the semi-sport, had
much TO do with the dances failure.
The indian agents and school super
irtendents have opposed the sun dance
for q number OF years, ana unoer CRU
ers from the agents, the spectdcuidi
features involving self-torture We're
abandoned. That robbed 1t of much Oh
its interest in the eyes OF the INDIANS.
The older ones, who still cling to their
own religious beliefs. denounced thls
as another white face invasion OF
aboriginal rights. The younger Indians,
who have ceased to feel the religious
significance of the ceremony, no long
err find pastime in it, but seem rather
to en,ov the customs and religious
ceremonies of the Christian missiona-
ries and teachers.
John II. Seger, who has done much
to educate and train the Cheyennes
and Arapahoes in the white man
ways, and who is more familiar win
their history and customs than any
man outside the tribe, says:
eThe Indians, like some civilized peo-
rle haIieved that trouble and misfor-
tune are visited upon people for their
sins: that all the good visited nron
l311hG, CONES fronaA good 81 H. ana an an
V aa nee 'fii'sl ~ kiferdf 7aA9f tribe Xoi-
urteer to submit to suffering antN~er
ture to satisfy the evil spirit remem-
her the substance OF prayer mace ny
Raven. a celebrated Arapahoe chlel
,,d madeline man. at a sun dance held
thirty wears ago at the Red Hills, near
the point where Gerry STANDS To-Day
"It was high noon. Six warriors
stood nude, except a .breechciout. .
their bleeding breasts. was fastened d
r.vhide lariat. One warrior was drag
o,ipe buffalo head by the horns WIN
tho lar;at. In the midst OF TINS Tor
tire old Raven stepped out, and rals-
,oo his hands toward the sun ne 40
dressed the Great Spirit, as ne moan
,d.'.Nanv are sick and suffering from
disease. The great buffalo are ieavlns
MS. the white man surrounds us IKE
hunters around herd of tired bufalo.
We know his punishment is visited up
=, nc for our disobedience to the wish
If the Great Spirit. We are wiling TO
suffer the lust punishment from the
inva sion Of the white man. We reailze
mar the buffalo win disappear Win
no earning of the white man. What
we ask is that the Great Spirit VIII
r.itv MS and let the soldiers and young
men bear the suffering for their peo-
ple. which they are willing to DO, as
the Great Spirit can now see. we ask
that the Great Spirit be satisfied with
this voluntary suffering, and ask that
the women and children. who are weak
and tired, be spared from sickness and
suffering. We ask that as there is no
hope. for the Arapahoes except to get
their food from the earth as the white