The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-01-20
DEAD Chief BURIED
Weird Scenes Enacted at the Grave of
Chief Bill Teton.

'Nhu SNShtS dI lIle VTdNS vi
Chief Bill Teton.
AT sundown yesterday all that was
mortal of Chief Bill Teton of the Ban
mock Indians was lowered into a
grave at burial butte, the resting place
Of all prominent chiefs and Indians
who have died since the F't Hall re-
servation was established. Red men
and their white neighbors paid a tri-
butte to the memory of a great war
rior and to the man who was coun-
selor for peace in the days of the Ban
mock war and who 25 years ago was
perhaps more instrumental in quel-
ling the Indian uprising than the
white men who urged terms of peace.
Dressed in the costume of his tribe,
the war bonnet and battle shirt, Teton
was placed in modern casket, adorn-
en- with elaborate silver mounts. His
body, as it lay in state on the hill top
! for "a hours, was guarded by 175
bucks, who were in constant attend
ance from the time of the arrival of
the funeral procession Wednesday
evening until the death chant which
closed the service late Thursday night.
Teton was accorded all the honors
of great warrior, pole was plac-
ed at his head on which, according to
Indian ways, his record on the battle
field was shown in colors. There were
eight sections to the pole and Teton's
section was marked in red at the top,
indicating that he had tried his
strength against eight of the greatest
Indian warriors and that he had been
victorious.
standing barefooted in the snow
with arms barred to the shoulders, the
female relatives of the dead chief
pricked their flesh with sharp instru-
ments until the blood ran from the
wounds and onto the ground. This act,
a custom with the Indian, was to ap-
pease the evil spirit, so that the dead
chief might be permitted to go in
peace. The wall of the tribe through
out the afternoon could be heard a
mile from the burying ground and the
Indians, as people, displayed more
genuine grief over their dead chief
than the average white family does
over one of its immediate members.
Indians and white men shook the
hand of Teton, in bidding him good
4 bye, and, assembling on one side of
the grave, euolgies were delivered. DR..
Patrie and Karl Brown, friends of Te-
ton, spoke for the whites and Chief
Pat Tyhee, Curley Mckane, son of the
late Chief Otter, Tendoy, brother of
Chief Tendoy and Charley Dagie spoke
for the Indians. The talks of the
white men were interpreted to the
Indians and the talks of the Indians
were interpreted to the whites, Charlie
Lewis, a graduate of the Fort Hall
school, acting as interpreter. An in
teresting part of this tribute to the de-
parted chief, was the fact that Nc
Kane, as he spoke, mounted on his
fathers grave which adjoins the rest
, ing place selected for Chief Teton
The Indians who spoke in eulogy OF
Teton expressed themselves as feeling
! like little children now that the chief
was dead.
"Chief Otter, father of McKane, was
the first Indian chief to die on the
reservation, which was selected by
Chief Tyhee, father of the present
, Chief Pat Tyhee.
"Chief Teton's age was estimated by
the Indians at from 70 to SO years, but
the latter figure is regarded as more
probable. His knowledge of Indian
history, however, established the fact
that he was a very old man.
'All of Teton's earthly possessions
9 in the way of wearing apparel, arms
clothing and bedding were buried
with him, one of the last things to bt
: placed in the grave being the OLE
[ straw hat which Teton wore last sum
. mer His hands were covered will
. rings, his arms banded with bracelet.
. and his body strewn with jewelry
much of which was the gift of tribes
r men. The coffin was virtually packed
a with articles having peculiar signific
q ance to the Indian. 1t was necessar.
2 for two men to use their weight il
r forcing the lid into position, go grea
t had been the bestowal of gifts upol
: the dead chief.
6 after the coffin had been lowered
into the grave and the rough box GOV
: cred, Indian bucks went to the grav
: and carefully packed the bedding be
U longing to the dead chief around tn
sides. The grave was then filled an
the mourners gathered around it in
circle and sang a death chant, closin
the service.
"Bolt after bolt of calico and man
presents were given to young squaw
+ by the relatives of Teton as part c
the ceremony.
"The rodeo or Christmas celebratio
e CT tNe Indians was interrupted by tn
e death Of the chief 1t is planned t
e resume the celebration next Tuesda.
It on tire Portneuf river bottoms, east {
S the present Fort Hall White peopl
n are especially invited to attend, and
is stated. TIE feature Of the closing {
Y the festivities will be the re-enac
It mert Of scenes prominent in the life
q Chief Teton '-Blackfoot Courier.