The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-04-21
SONG OF THE BASQUE FLOWER
(By DR.. Melvin R. Gilmore.

Our earliest blooming native flower
in this region is the basque flower:
which often appears before the snow
has entirely disappeared. The basque
flower is often popularity miscalled
"crocus." This is very great error,
for the crocus is not even native any
where in North Dakota; besides, the
basque flower does not resemble a
crocus. A crocus is like lily or an
iris in structure. and is a monocoty-
ledon, whereas the basque flower is a
dcotyledon and is very like an amen
one. ~, N5
Among the people of the Dakota ma
ton of Indians there is a pretty con-
ceit connected with the basque flower.
Indians generally are keenly obser-
want of all things in nature, and rev.
erent toward them. They feel rever-
ence for all living creatures, whether
plant or animal. They have songs
and stories about most Of the forms Of
plant and animal life with which they
are acquainted, the specific song be-
ing the expression of the life o. soul
of the species to which it pertains. s
The song of the basque flower trans
lated out of the Dakota language in
to the English runs something like
this:
~ wish to encourage the children of
other nations
Which are now appearing over all the
land;
rise from the bosom
Of Mother Earth. stand here old and
gray-headed" @
The saying II wish to encourage the
children of other flower nations" re-
fers to the very early prevernal bios
soming Of this flower while other spe-
cies (nations) are just peepng through
the ground. The entire plant is hairy,
and when mature is bushy and white.
having resemblance to full and
heavy growth of very white hair on
the head of an old man. This explains
the allusion in ~ stand here old and
gray-headed-" I'D
Silent Invocation.
When in springtime an old man of
the Dakota nation first finds one of
these flowers it reminds him of his
childhood, when he wandered over
the hills at play rs free from sorrow
and care as the birds and the flowers
He sits down near the flower, upon the
lap Of Mother Earth, takes out his
pipe and fills it with tobacco. Then
he reverently holds the pipe towards
the earth; then towards the sky, then
towards the north, the east, the south
land the west. After this act of silent
invocation and thanksgiving, he
So while they waken from sleep and
smokes. Tobacco was sacred and was
used ceremonially as an incense. The
pipe was therefore a sort of censor
and was accordingly treated with re-
spect and reverence. In smoking. In,
dams did not seize the pipestem in
the teeth. Such, an act would be sac
religious. The mouthpiece of the pipe-
stem was gently pressed to the lips
and the breath drawn through. BY,
this inspiration the smoker united the
mystery Of the tobacco, the mystery
Of fire and the mystery of the breath
Of life.
While the old man sits by the flower
and smokes he meditates upon all the
changing scenes of his lifetime; his.
Toys and sorrows, his youthful hopes
his ACCOMPLISHMENTS, his disappoint-
ments, and upon the guidance Of the
unseen powers according to him thus
far upon the journey of life, and he
is encouraged to believe that he will
be guided to the end of life's Journey
ssbevond the fourth hill" of life: as
he had been guided over the hill Of
childhood, the hill Of youth and the
hill Of manhood, that he shall also be
guided over the last hill, the hill of
old age.
After finishing his pipe he empties
the ashes reverently upon the ground