The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-08-06
HOW THE FLATHEADS
GOT THEIR FIRST HORSES

STATE UNIVERSITY, Missoula.-
| When the Flathead Indians caugh
their first glimpse of horses, they didn'
know whether to run or not. And afte
they had rustled those horses, the,
didn't know quite what to do will
them
But eventually the Flatheads die
learn to ride, with the result that they
lost one of the evidences of their SINH
larity to the Pacific coast tribes-theil
temperament homes and began te
roam like the plains tribes.
The complete story of the Flatheads
their migrations, their social environ
ment their magic and religious GUS
toms, their life cycles-is told by DR.
Harry Turney- High, professor of an
thropology and sociology at the Mon
tana state university, in a forthcoming
book. 1t will be published in August
DIR. Turney- High has been student
of Flathead ethnology for eight years
and his work is the most complete
study of that Indian group that has
been written.
The university professor says that
while study of the plateau Indians has
yielded important results to ethnolo-
gists, much remains to be done. The
plateau Indians are great marginal
group, taking their customs from the
Indian tribes to the east and west
This plateau stretches along the
Rocky mountains from southern Can
ada almost to the Mexican border. in
this territory lie many tribes and races
with differing backgrounds and cul-
lures, all of which must be studied if
complete picture of plateau Inoian
ethnology is. to be published
THE study of Indian ethnology may
appear to be impractical" DR.. Turney-
High says. But it is in the -esults
that it yields that it is practical. Here
we have race different from our
selves. We examine its culture, its en-
vironment. its life cycle We study the
things it borrowed from its neighbors
to the east and west We know the re-
suits and extent of this marginal life
this living between originators. And
we are able to study the culture OBJ
jectively because it is removed from u.s.
We in this region also are marginal
We are borrowers from the east and
west. Our fashions come from London
and Chicago. Our music comes from
the east and west Even our old cow
boy songs which were original with US
are as quaint now to us as they are to
the far easterner. .a
IF we can appraise the effect of
marginality on the Indian, perhaps we
will be able to determine its effect upon
us who are also marginal. mis- study
thus has reaching connotations.
And that's the practical thing about it. 2
The study of marginal peoples long
has interested DR.. Turney High, who
has been member of the university
staff since 1927. As soon as his Flat
head manuscript is published, he will
begin active study of the Indians of
the Snake river country near Dillon.
The story Of the advent of the horse
in Flathead culture is told by many
of the Indians. DR.. Turney High trans
lated a version from the Indian and
published it recently in the English
anthropological journal, Man"
Inc leBenu ueScrlDeS now the ohO-
shonean Snakes, although not at war
all the time" with the Flatheads, at
tackled Flathead camp. The Flat
heads came upon their massacred kin
land swore revenge" A small party
stole stealthily after the Snakes, finally
coming upon camp where they were
amazed to see horses content where
they were, in association With people"
Since they saw the Snakes riding
horses, they decided to steal them. The
Snakes followed them with other horses
from a hidden herd Because the
Snakes were scared" to fight the Flat
heads in open combat, they decided to
parley, and although they begged and
begged and begged" the Flathead chief
refused to give them their horses.
Eventually, after some experimental
ton, the Flatheads learned to ride. !
These warriors who captured our
first horses notched their coups-sticks,
and were always given very great
honor"
EXAMINATIONS.
L., t..11