The Washington times., 1922-04-12
APRIL IL, 1922
Did You EUer Open YOUR
"Sucred Pack ?''


sort of bundle mysteriousy fastened together con-
tanning sacred objects important in the estimation
of the Indians.
The sacred pack is intrusted the care of the med
cine of very reliable old chief who is ex
peced to protect it with his e to keep it as mysterious
and sacred possible, and to bring it only the
most important occasions
On rare occasions when the sacred packs are opened
only few important members of the tribe allowed
to what is inside of the packs The ordinary braves
and squaw simply look at the outside bow their heads
and worship that which they suppose be very
fine.
Recently the curators of the National Museum at Wash
ington managed to get hold of two of the mysterious
sacred packs taken from the Usage Indians An Indian
employed by the Government managed to get these packs
and they have been UNPACKED by the ethnologists,
scientific gentlemen at Washington whose business it is
to study the various of men,
Very interesting and curious casting strange light
On the superstons and fances of the Indians the
various articles in the first of these packs opened
The outside made of the finely woven brown hair
of the buffalo.
This fastened together with buckskin strap the
strap decorated with human scaps and human scaps all
through this sacred pack played about as important
part American dollars would play in the sacred pack
OF the ordinary American citizen he could get of
his head and open it,
Attached to the buckskn strap that held the pack to-
gether there was addition to the scalp the leg of an
eagle.
Inside of that another covering of mating And
inside of this pipe, also decorated WITH SCALPS.
tobacco bag, braided cord made of WOOL and bundle
of buffalo bladders doubtless thought contain some
hidden valuable sacred qualities.
Inside OF the pack in the very heart of the mysterious
bundle, was the most sacred object of all apparently
this the body of hawk, mummifed painted bril-
liant vermilion and green, with ga crclet of human
scalps" attached to the hawks tail.
So much for the contents of the mysterious sacred
bundle that tribe of Usage Indians had carried about
with them-for very many years probably-and had
worshiped solemny and reverenty in all great crises
Now having observed with interest the fact that human
scaps fastened to the hawks TAIL to the buffalo
bladders and buckskn straps and having felt due
tempt for these Indians making scaps conspicuous in
their holy of hoies, let examine-each for himself
quetly-the particular sacred pack that every white
man carries around with him. buried away in his head
The ordinary white is about complicated a
creature entire tribe of Indians all put together
Every white has holy of holies-every black
brown and yellow man also, for that matter-whch is
INSIDE OF HIMSELF, which he worships, which
controls him. This sacred pack few of take out
and examine all Those that do occasionally open the
pack and see what is in it, do so very rarely.
Suppose you could open your mental pack and take off
the wrapping and sort the things inside aof it, what
would you findi
Right in the very center light there not be mumm-
fled SELF, painted with very charming and deceptive
Icolors-quite ridiculous that mummified hawk
painted vermion and green with the crcle of scalps
fastened to the tailf
In the inside "sacred pack of the ordinary American
would you not find dollar marks fastened everywhere
about often you find scaps tied inside the pack
of the Usage Indiansf
Ethnoogsts of the Smithsonian Institution tell us that
they will find out great deal about the Indians their be-
hefs superstons weaknesses and gradual development
by opening these sacred packs and identifying the
meaning of various articles
Fellow citizens, should probably find out great
deal about ourselves and bring about considerable i'm
provemenf could each get the sacred pack out of
the back of his head open it up, and find how much
is foolish and get rid of that part.