The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-24
CHRISTENING OF
INDIAN CHILD IN
RARE CEREl.0NY
Full BIooded Usage Baby
Comes Through Ordeal
With Smile.

By United Press
PAWHUSKA, Okla, March PA
child naming ceremonial observed
at an Usage Indian settlement per
haps will not be repeated many
more times.
There now remains less than 300
full-blooded members Of tribe that
came to Oklahoma fifty-six years
ago 1000 strong. Their customs
have changed so with money and
mixing with the whites that little Is
left of a once naughty and dignified
tribe.
It is seldom the eyes Of white
man is permitted TO view one OF
these symbolical affairs.
The full-blood baby came through
the ceremony smiling. Its hair had
been cut after a prescribed fashion,
implying a permit to the Great
Spirit that it should live to see old
age without obstruction of any kind,
in fact, the head was shaved ex-
cept for a fringe around the lower
edges.
Goes in Naked
The baby went into action naked.
He came out covered with stripes
from the sacred paint pot
The sun was travelling downward
in the afternoon when the chief
medicine mixer received a call from
Baby-Wa'S copper colored daddy that
he possessed sufficient blankets for
gifts to pass around the circle.
At sunrise on the day following
a recital of the Taking of Life
Symbols. was given before a large
asesmblage of full-blood Indians at
the home of Baby Was parents.
The medicine chief. after chant
ing the symbols, proceeded to deco
rate himself from a paint pot with
sacred colors. fastened to his scalp
lock a red feather and wrapped
himself in a radiant hued blanket
Articles Passed About
Father and mother of the child
to be given a name were seated in
the east end of their great frame
home. the chief medicine man and
his dozen or more helpers sat on
the south side. and visiting clans
men were seated on the north side
When all had settled to their
proper places and the center of the
room was great hollow square,
SyInboliCal articles to be used in
the ceremony were passed around.
These consisted of cedar frondS
or branches. a bowl of mashed corn
and a bowl of water. The medicine
men then began chanting what
they termed the wigie, translation
being: You will give heed to see
what can be done. Even as these
words are being spoken to the first
division of heaven, the messenger
verify descended, where the little
ones have not yet become people"
After the sing-sOng, which lasted
an hour. the baby was given over to
the head medicine chief who in
turn passed him to six lesser chiefs.
and then returned him to their
leader. who dipped the tips of his
fingers into a bowl of water in
which had been placed sacred paint
and red cedar fronds.
Appeal for Health
The head chief then gently
touched the lips, head. arms and
body of the little one. This act was
an appeal to grant health and
strength that the child would grow
TO old age without interruption by
disease.
Then the baby was turned over
to the head of another medicine
clan, who touched the head, arms,
lips and body of the child with
pounded corn; an act of appeal that
the child would not suffer for lack
of food during life.
After each of the six chiefs Of as
many medicine clans had handled
the child in the same manner, the
head of the medicine clan brought
the mother forward and placed in
her hands two little willow sticks.
each of which presented a sacred
name. She was requested to take
one of the names represented by the
sacred sticks.
She chose the name she believed
to be most euphoniouS and religious
in its significance. This closed the
ceremony and Wa-shta-ge-waS
then was real Indian parsonage, a
clanSman and perhaps some day he
NAV become a cbiPftaiD