The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-10
WHITES WITNESS
OFFERING DANCE
First Time Pale Face Has
Seen Great Religious
Ceremonial
CANDIDATES. GET
HIGHEST DEGREE

Spend Days In Fasting Before Taking
the Ceremony Lay for Hours With
Fire Roasting Their Feet-Yery An
cient Custom.
GEARY. Oklahoma. Oct. 10.-The
Offering dance" of the Arapho Indians
of Oklahoma, which closed here late in
August. was witnessed and chronicled by
the pale-face for what is believed to be
the first time. The Offering dance Is the
final ceremonials to be borne by candI-
dates for the highest degree in the strong
est religious fraternity of the tribe
The ritual was witnessed by n party of
Oklahoma City physicians and nurses who
visited the cncampment of Arapahoes,
who were being visited by the Comanches,
Cheyennes and Kiowas, during a study Of
skin diseases of the Indians being pre-
pared for the United States public health
service
\ member of the tribe and a lecturer on
Indian folk lore for a national museum
was present and explained much of the
ritual to DR.. Everett s Lain and to DR..
Claude b. Norris. leaders of the party.
Six white persons in all witnessed the
ceremony.
More than 1000 Indians. in all, were
present.
In preparation for the offering dance
also called the willows dance huge
lodge was constructed about % feet in
diameter.
1t took several days to complete the
lodge, according to members of the tribe,
"A each pole going into its construction
was blessed separately by tribal priests.
Closely Guarded.
Guard lines We're thrown out by the
Indians so that $40 unlimited eye could
witness their ceremony.
Clever Warden. the lecturer, said the
foundation for the order extends so tar
hack that. according to tribal interpreters,
the moons which have elapsed since that
time have gone from the memory even Of
tradition and the tradition and legend
extend back hundreds of seasons.
Candidates for initiation may make APP
plication to Join. after they have commit
Ted some extraordinarily brave act; have
been fearless i'm leadership. renowned in
politics of the tribe, or in some way dis
tingui~hed themselves greatly, the inter
prefers told the physicians
Two of the candidates were veterans of
the World war. One had been seriously
wounded Directly east of the center
called. was kindlcd.
He'll dozen warriors beat rythmically
on q tomtom during the dance.
Offering for Great Spirit.
The candidates first tasted for two
days and then offerings for the Great
Spirit were brought in by the candidates
who placed them within the sacrifice
grounds and stopping thrust a buffalo
tooth into the ground, The warrior who
! followed had to locate the tooth and re
thrust 1t into the ground. Then the feast
/ of the year was brought in. The Candi
dates, however. did not participate.
| Standing, they extended their feet sc
! that the soleS touched live Goals With
out making any cutlery the candidates il
this position submitted to the painting
Of their bodies by the priests.
! They were allowed to choose the color
with which they were painted, according
to the tribes Interpreter. If they chose
white, it was taken to mean they would
continue the ceremony aS long a. they
were able without complete physical ex
/ huuStion. IF, however, they chose yellow
! it was explained. the warrior had pledged
to continue the ceremony to the end
/ though be should eudanger his-lifc by Sc
doing.
/ Wives Also Fast
! 1t was explained by the interpreter that
/ through the entire ceremony the wives
/ of all married candidates had been en-
! during their fastS and tests behind a far
/ in the rear of the lodge. They were kept
hidden from the initiated. however, until
/ the conclusion of the ceremony.
| The beating of the tom-tom rose and
/ became roar and the dance was begun
/ For IL hours they danced. Those who
endured won the degree Those who did
not have the privilege of trying again the
I following year. it was explained.
| This dance often is confused with the
sun dance. which has been prohibited by
the federal government, but is not akin
to the sun dance
Soon after the final dance. the tcpees
were dismantled and the caravans of In
dams departed over the Oklahoma plains