East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-09-21

, upon the wind spirits TO come to the
relief Of the Indians and drive away
the snow. If the Chinook did not
come soon the dance was resumed un-
I'll the warm west wind put in an ap-
pearance. Then the sorcerers tri-
umphantly claimed that they had
brought the Chinook and they gained
not only fame but more substantial
rewards"
The Scalp Dance.
The sane authority in describing
tn scalp dance, says: In the scalp
dance the women did the dancing in
side a ring formed by the other men,
bers Of the clan sitting around. The
dancers were half naked, hideously
bedaubed with paint and with dishev-
cled hair. They danced about while
those sitting around sang a wild, mo-
notonous song and beat on boards
with clubs
The Medicine Dance.
one Of the dances Of the old Uma>
tillas was the medicine dance but they
never developed 1t TO the extent that
the coast Indians did. In fact the
coast Indians spent much more time
dancing than did the upland tribes
Tor the reason that the long rainy pc
riods kept them confined indoors and
forced them to turn TO the dance fOr
pastime.
Thomas n strong OF Portland some
years ago contributed an article 10
the oregon an in which he gave a
graphic description or the medicine
uSnce which, he says, was al Iis best
among the coast tribes. II was held
in a long lodge. In such a lodge,
he wrote, in case Of sickness Of some
distinguished person, there would be
gathered at night a hundred or more
Indians In the sunken place IN the
middle of the lodge cleaned out for
this purpose, and near the fire, would
be placed upon mat the sufferer
lightly covered with furs. Around
the sides and ends or the lodge IN
double and triple ranks each with
pole in his hands, would be placed
every available Ind.an man, woman
and child.
AT a given signai from some mas
ter Of ceremonies the dance would
be commenced by everybody, at first
slowly but afterward more quickly,
jumping up and down in their places
TO the loud chant Of yo-o-o. yo-o-o,
yo-o-o, 20, the first three long drawn
out and the last sharply cut off and
shouted almost explosiyely, No one
stirred from his position except mo-
notonously to jump up and down
with the pole held upright in both
hands in front OF him, SO that the
movement brought it into contact
with the low roof in perfect time with
the chant and the jumping the move
ment being SO timed that the poles
final 'yo The noise was deafening
and the lodge would shake in every
timber. After this had gone on with
increasing enthusiasm for a half hour
or so and the patient was supposed
to be sufficiently prepared and the
evil spirit properly alarmed, terrific
noise would be heard in the darkness
outside. and suddenly the medicine
man with four or five assistants
would come bounding through the
door with howls ana yells into the
smoky interior They looked like
fiends. bodies naked, faces covered
with hideous mask over which tow
cred frightful headdress, and in
their hands rattles large cumbersome
things covered with teeth and feath-
ers This dress varied with different
people and different medicine men,
but the one idea was to make it hid
eous and awe inspiring as possible.
so as to impress and frighten the de-
mons who had wrought the ev
witchcraft upon the sufferer Not
for one moment did the dancing,
chanting or pounding cease or vary
in ITS monotony The medicine man
bowling dismally c;rcled with great
leaps and bounds about his patient in
sporting phrase, sparring for an open
ing to get to close grips with the evil
spirit Finally his chance came, The
spirit, invisible to all hat him, had
been caught off his guard, He rushed
in. seized the sick man. and with
hands and teeth attempted to drag