The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-08-13
SHOSH0NES AND
ARAPAHOES STAGE
FAMOUS sun DANCE
WYOMING TRIBES PARTICIPATE
IN FORBIDDEN RELIGIOUS
"SUN" CEREMONIAL
Most Wierd of All Tribal Dances
Typical of Earliest Days of The
Plains Is Staged by Two Nations
Near Lander.


Near Lander.
Whether Montana's Indian tribes
will follow in the footsteps of their
Wyoming brothers In the observ-
ance of the Sundance, remains To
he seen. Overriding the object
lions of Indian Agent X. T.. Haas,
ShoshOne and ,Arapahoe Indians re-
Gently INDUCED In the forbidden
sundance, sacred ceremony which
lasts three days and three nights.
Out at Fort Washable, 16 miles
i from Lander, Wyoming, the Shoshone
tribe spent several days In their pre-
parations. The huge pole In the CEN
ter of a circle OF poles represents the
Diety or the sun and the 2 poles of
the circle may be the tradition which
has come down through the ages,
numbering the twelve tribes of He
brews. Around the outside poles,
bowers of brush were built for shell
ter when the Indians fall exhausted.
The place was lighted at night by
huge bonfire. A smudge was built
near the circle and into this smoke
the dancers would go from time to
time to be toasted by the heat in the
belief that the soles of their bare feet
were toughened for the ordeal.
All Attend the Ceremonies.
Every Indian of the reservation
attends these ceremonies. More than
1000 from infants on the backs of
squaws to the oldest woman or brave
able TO get there circled the ceremony
Il urnnnda Thau anAL m kau
for those who dance but that seems
to be an incidental matter with them
on an occasion OF this nature.
The ceremony is wierd. Within
the circle OF poles the Indian braves
dance almost constantly for three
days and nights Each dancer has a
bone whistle between his teeth and as
he exhales and inhales his breath the
sound augments the wierd music OF
the tom toms. Back and forth to-
ward the center pole some mince for
ward with half-inch hops, head
thrown back, while others with sway
Ing bodies and little hops approach
the pole and back again until deep
paths are worn In the ground
During the time OF the dance the
braves take neither food nor drink.
If one breaks away to the stream
nearby for refreshment, 1t is his loss
of the blessing which they believe
comes to those who endure.
Sunrise IN The Climax
The squaws and children stand
about the circle watching the dancing
and taking part In the singing to the
music Of the drums. The dance
reaches Its climax just as the sun
rises above the horizon each morning,
the braves throwing themselves and
crying out with blood curdling yells.
Approaching the pole they throw
their arms about 1t as though seek
ing protection and help. The de-
scent OF spiritual power seems to fall
upon them then. giving health and
strength as well as forgiveness OF
sins
At times the sick among the tribe
are brought within the circle OF the
dancers. They are lined up and the
participants dance about them, strik-
ing their chests with some instru-
ment believed to transmit strength
and health to the diseased ones. The
teaching of healing by faith and by
prayer seems to be part OF the be-
lief OF the red man and the efficacy
of the Sundance is considered q po-
tent factor of life.
Dance To The Finish.
BY the end OF the third day and the
beginning of the last night the In
dams can scarcely crawl or utter a
sound. Their togues swollen by
fhfFat ihnlr haAtoo al H.
show heavy lines of fatigue with fac
es drawn and tense they move back
and forward TO the pole with automa-
toms almost crazed by hunger and
exhaustion. With the faint streak Of
dawn the braves throw their arms
TO the east and begin the last lap OF
the dance. Reaching climax as the
first beams OF light from the rim OF
the sun strikes the dancers the dance
ends with paroxysms of physical ex-
ertion and wierd yells and groans
that are impossible to describe.
The sight must be seen to be APP
preciated and when the word went
out that the dance was to be held
people travelled hundreds of miles
to see II.
Many View Rites
Federal authorities had come to be-
lieve that their restrictions would al
ways be respected by their wards and
that the Indian had banished forever
from his thoughts the idea Of partici-
pating in this ceremony again when
last summer the leaders OF the tribes
began to gather the poles for the cere-
mony, counsel was unavailing and au-
thorities realized that to forbid meant
instruction and defeat of authority.
A compromise was reached whereby
the Indians agreed not to lacerate
their bodies with knives or draw
blood.
The Arapahoe tribe erected their
poles about four miles from Fort
Washable, and started their dance
a few days later than that of the Sho-
shones People who visited the scene
OF the dances this year reported even
wilder orgies than those which char
acterized the dance of last year.
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