The Detroit times., 1914-05-15
U. S. OFFICIALS
STOP CERTAIN
INDIAN DANCES
Taboo Those That Kindle An
Gent Blood Thirsty Spirit
of Earlier Redmen
SUN DANCE WAS FIRST
TO COME UNDER THE BAN
Famous Snake Dance of HOpi
Indians Will BE Stopped
Soon, 1t Is Believed

WASHINGTON, Ma t5.-The In.
dian Office OF the department OF the
interior watches It's Indian wards
with tine jvrfUus- rare OF u fffett-wtttfr
one chicken, and one OF the things
that Is denied to the Indian is indul-
gence in uneXpurgated performance
OF native folk-dancing, which was or
iginally designed 10 arouse his nghL
ing blood.
The Indian always has been very
proud OF his dancing, and In pro-
hibiting some OF the dances that are
not considered good medicine the
Indian Office Is obliged TO use the
greatest diplomacy. The Indian, de-
spite statements TO the contrary, holds
the Great White Father in fearful
esteem even TO the point OF abandon
ing many OF his tribal dances.
In the days when Custer was chas-
ing Sioux along the Little Big Horn a
good many OF the western tribes were
addicted To the sun dance al frequent
and regular intervals This dance
was largely OF a religious nature, and
was designed TO propitiate the sun
God, The braves chosen for the dance
were big. husky fellows, blessed with
the gift of Imagination. They began
with the beating OF tom-toms as they
danced In circle. and as the steady
boom boom boom OF the tom-toms beat
upon their ears they gradually worked
themselves into the widest frenzy.
The climax came in self-mutilation
OF the dancers, When they had
reached the proper condition of en-
thusiasm and frenzy out would come
the scalping knives. The big braves.
one by one, would pause in the dance
to draw their knives across their
shoulders and down across their
breasts until they dropped from ex-
haustion through loss OF blood
This sun dance was one of the first
tribal customs to come under the
ban OF the government. First, the
Indian office tried to. show the chiefs
the detrimental moral effects of the
dance, but the old chiefs stood pat
on the traditions of their fathers
and the dance went on. One after
another OF the arguments OF the In.
dian Office we're exhausted, until
finally the officials invoked the pic
ture of the Great White Father angry
at his Indian children. Then, and
then only, the sun dance passed
In some parts of the unsettled
west the dance breaks out sporadi.
cailv still, but Uncle Sans official
dance censor shakes his head, and
soon his disapproyal is brought home
10 the recalcitrants through the long
arm of the Indian Office.
Another OF the dances Of the old
a
is the war dance CHIEF among the
reasons for stopping il was the psy-
chologic effect on the Indian mind
by the winding mazes OF the dance
and the steady beat OF the war
drums. The Indian on the war-path
is a bad character TO deal with.
Another Objectionable Nance was
the scalp dance. This served much
the same purpose as the war dance,
only the Indians, with an eye TO
realism. felt that scalp or two was
needed for the proper effect,
At the time the Indian office first
started 10 ban the Objectionable
dances of the red men II was found
that when scalp dance was being
planned a new scalp would appear
among the properties. a scalp that
was anything but an heirloom OF In
dian forefathers, and word would
reach Washington that some Indian
or white man had been killed and
scalped Then would ensue a detec-
tive work, with possible prosecution
and trial which served TO work up
the Indians 10 a high pitch of re-
sentiment.
Up TO the present time the Indian
Office has not taken serious steps to
abolish the snake dance OF the Hopi
Indians of the southwest, but il is be-
lieved that this custom also is
doomed
Moving pictures taken on Indian
reservations can no longer be taken
without written permission OF the In.
dian Office, The purpose H. to do
away with anything tending to pre-
serve in the Indians minds the man
ners and customs from which the In
dian office is trying 10 wean them.