The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-09-22

women. worn on ceremonial occasions.
On these occasions the Indians per
form native dances totally unlike the
modern North American kind. said by
many to have originated with the
South American Indians. The dances
are accompanied by weird, hypnotic
music performed on a t1utelike instru-
ment. The dances can be brought
about by anything from the taking of
an enemy's head to a death or the eur
ing of a snake bite.
One of the most picturesque expert.
ences encountered by DR.. Farabee and
his party was when they came upon a
village assembled for the purpose Of
curing one of its inhabitants of Il poi
sOnous snake bite. The victim was
stretched upon the ground. Around
him We're dancers. who after sucking
the wound alternately blew and spat
upon not only the bite, but all Of the
mans joints. In an outer circle sat the
musicians. who played such an insidi-
Gus. nla1ntlve tune that even the Stran-
gers had difficulty in resisting the hyp-
nosls it was designed to induce. The
bitten man was more or less hypnu-
tizcd and by this method. as far as the
visitors could observe, was cured.
Marriage takes place at a very early
age among these aborigines. In some
cases a boy is required by custom to
take two of his cousins on his moth
ers side for his wives. A great many
OF the tribes are homogeneous. In
breeding Is favored. although brothers
and sisters may not marry. The men
are v1llle and Of medium stature. The
women are strong and beautiful.
though of smaller height.
\ curious custom obtains among the
WaiWai. When a child is born it is
the father who takes to his hammock
and remains there for a month. He
refrains from all strong food and is
T. with delicacies by the women
just as though he We're an invalid.
Meanwhile the mother Of the child
goes about her work just the same as
usual.
Many Of the villages have but two
--'''N' "AN - tilell NJ "lIl'll
there is a big general court With the
apartments of the individual families
ahutting on it. and the other a house
which the women seldom enter. but
which is maintained as a sort OF mems
club, in which they entertain visitors
from other tribes.
The women would delight the hearts
Of the anti-sutfragiSts. Moral suasion
is their big stick. There is a native
liquor which is very Intoxicating. The
women. however, do not touch it, al.
though drunkenness IS prevalent among
the men. During the periods of in
toXication Of he men the women re-
strain them from bartering and the
mel obey with lamblike obedience.
The men entertain a deep affection
for their wives and will barter any
thing else IN their possession with
neighboring tribes except the "cush-
ma or ceremonial shirt which the
wives make.
CassaNa. a root similar TO the potato,
is the staple article of food. .Agri-
culture in its broader sense is unknown
to these newly discovered Indians. The
men hunt and fish and do the barter
ing. The women gather the fruit and
nuts and CRATE the caSsava. They are
thoroughly impregnated with the iuea
that Woman's place Is the home.
DR.. Farabec Is a native of Pennsyl-
wanna. He received his ph. y. from
Harvard in 1903 and was engaged In
teaching and special scientific work
for that university In 1913 when he
accepted the position Of curator Of the
American section of the University OF
Pennsylvania