Show INDIAN BURIAL 3 women shorn of their lock to GIT ex 1 preshion ion to choir grief journal of aner win full lore when one is iu the lying agony tho relatives ivea rive vent to their grief in loud wails the crying continues at intervals until death takes place and also up to the time of burial this cry haa been by como white persona mistaken fur a chant but it in no way partakes of that character it is a genuine expression of anguish ani grief the wail or cry 13 interspersed with terms which express the relationship between the deceased and the person grieving the writer has many times heard tho cry of indian men and women and has seen the how down their checks there is something truly awful in the sound when men and women together lilt up their voices iu the wail of grief it is far from being liken song or chant when the breath has left the body of the one dying the nearest relatives euch aa parent or child brothers or austere husband or wife begin with a mad zeal to strip themselves of every ornament and cut their hair scattering the shorn locks about the fireplace the older married women who have borne children clip the hair short to the car while the young women part with but an inch or two young men do not sacrifice their locks but the men wear theirs short the older women pull their legnini and moccasins and gash the flesh ol 01 their legs below the knee lengthwise end crosswise till tho blood hows freely all the while they wail and call upon the dead the young men who are near relatives to the deceased ro move their leggins and moccasins and pierce their legs with a sharp keife until the blood runs fast from the wounds the old men do not scarify themselves with every new arrival whether tho person be of near kin or not the wailing starts afresh by this long continued crying tho excitement of grief am the pain of wounds abo relatives become exhausted before the timo of burial arrives and unable to speak above a whisper boon after death the corpse is placed in a silting position facing the east and dressed in gala costume ornaments are put upon the hair and the face is painted in abo bame manner as the hunga in the ceremonies of the sacred pipes that ia deceased belonged to ono of the gents owning a sacred pipe tho hunga as this modo of painting is called ia dona by painting the entire face red with vermilion then a black line about the breadth of the little ismark cd ariosa the forehead horizontally zon tally and down both cheeks to meet a line drawn across the chin thus forming a square A center line starts ironi the one across the forehead and falls along the joae to its point this black paint is made of charcoal and prepared fat mea women and children belonging to the sacred pipe owners gents ortho tribe with few exceptions are painted in this manner after death when a member of a society dies the body ia taken care of by the fraternity and the burial ceremonies are transferred from the family to the management of the society for instance when a member of the Maw adane society dies the body is taken immediately after death while the body is yet limber to the lodge where the society ia accustomed to meet on its arrival it is placed in a sitting posture facing the east and decked with tho regalia of the society the face of the corpse was painted in the manner in which the man while living was accustomed to paint when attending the meetings of the society in his right hand is placed the tacha gae or deer s hoof rattle which is carried only by the leader of the society the preparation ot the body ia done by the relatives of tho deceased and one or two members of the society when all la complete alio crier lummous the members and these wend their way to the lodge where the dead man aits ns a eilent host the Maw adano songs which aro the favo rales of hie dead members are then and the rhythmic steps taken while presents aru laid on the drum these latter anro offerings toward the funeral ceremonies As each gift is made tho crier sings forth the name of the giver that all the villages may hear of the deed the body lies ia abato in tha lodge either of tho family or the society of which abo deceased waa a member if the person or his family aro held bif high respect by the tribe the young men theao between 20 anu 30 gather together to perform a carmony their esteem and grief having stripped of their gar meals except tho breech cloth a loop is cut through the akin of the arm midway between the point of the shoulder and the elbow und the end of a willow twig about a foot long having the leaves on ia thrust through tho loop of skin tho blood trickles down tho willow stem and scatters spatters spat the hanging leaves the young men then walk eflowly to tho lodge w hero tho dead lies and stand abreast before tho tent entrance singing the funeral song each man accenting tho time by striking together two short sticks of willow all shed teara as they sing thia song ia an old one hav ng been handed down from an un cnown past it is the only funeral song in tho omaha tribe at the close of abo song the chief mourner whether man or woman steps forth from tho lodge wailing the young men join in tho wail of he mourner ho advances with up gifted hands and passes along the ine pausing an instant at each iceson the act is an expression f thanks and acknowledgment of he sympathy and honor shown when tho end of the line ia reached he mourner retraces his steps and alla fromlich from cich young roans arm ho bloodstained blood stained willow twig throwing it on the ground boffl prepare a huffe the gift an additional ac knowledg of the honor shown the dead is often returned to the donoris after the funeral is over tho young men after being relieved willows return to their starling point where they dread and dij baad this was last observed about five years ago the burial takes place on the third or fourth day after death the intervening period is a busy time for those having the funer il in charge booda are collected from the kindred to be given to the poor at the time of tie interment the grave never more than four feet deep as dug by a poor binau who is paid for hig labor the body is borne upon a stretcher made by binding two cros clicks on two poles ten or twelve t act long tent poles are boiu lor thin purpose abo aj cf abo stretcher is woven of willow baila on which a robe ia thread the emiry side uppermost and pillows aru need to keep the in position the feet covered with robes or blankets the stretcher 13 sometimes carried by four nun near relatives or drawn bj four horses willi a pack saddle tu which one end of the poles is tautened tho horsa of the dead which ia to be killed at the grave is led behind the litter followed by a crowd wailing as they walk when the grave ia reached the relatives gather around the opening the CM ae is from the litter and held by the bearers while tho robes on which it sat are arranged for ita reception in the grave where it ia placed upon them facing the east and the articles of value chiefly ornaments worn by the person during life are deposited bo sido the body if lie deceased be a man his weapons aro then laid by liia side if a woman her sewing bag containing her awl and articles used for cm duill yi if a child its playthings aro placed beside it at tho burial of a warrior his favorite horae is decorated as the roaster was wont to paint the animal this painting being always in accordance cor dance with the mans visions after the corpse ii deposited in the grave a rawhide rope ia loosely tied about the neck of the horsey and two men take hold of each end bf the ropo nad draw it taut until the animal falls dead for this service each man receives as a feo a rope a war jacket or a pair of beaded in recent years tho borso has been shot sometimes when the crave is the conclude ing ceremonies take place at other times the body 13 covered the weather la apt to decide the proceedings ce if a storm threatens the grave is at once closed but should tho day bo clear and no prospect of min liben the corpse remains iu full view during the entire ceremony the grave is covered in the following manner A crotched post id firmly into each end of the opening projecting about two feet abiva the surface ot the ground a pole is laid in the crotch ca of poles forming a ridgepole the roof is made by laying closely aide by side hardwood sticks long enough to have one end rest on the ridgepole upon this grass is spread thickly and lastly earth well tramped and sod laid on making a mound four or five feet high the surroundings are carefully cleared of rubbish and dried grass so that the grave may bo safe from fire for four successive nights following the burial the loving mother or if the deceased was an orphan then a near female relative patiently carried wood upon her back and near the mound kindles a fire keeping it burning throughout the night to light tho departed ono to the land of happiness abia service I 1 is done without weeping that the spirit may bot bo arrested or distressed as it travels hence there fire a variety of beliefs concerning the immediate action of the spirit upon ita withdrawal from the body some think that the soul at once starts upon its journey to the spirit land others that it hovers about the grave as if reluctant to depart because of this latter belief food and water are placed atthe bead of the grave for several days after the burial tho spirit la supposed to partake of this food no indian would touch any article of food thus exposed if he did tho ghost would snatch away the food and paralyze tho mouth of tho thief and twist bis face out of shape for the rest of his life or else he would be pursued by the ghost and food would loose its taste and hunger ever after haunt the of ender there i a belief in the that before alio spirits finally depart from men who died of wounds or their results they float toward a cliff overhanging the missouri not far from llie present santee agency in nebraska and cut upon the rocks ft picture showing forth their manner of death A fine in the the picture indicates the spot where the disease or wound was located which caused the death after thia record is complete the spirit flies bilto the land of the henreater he reater it is said that these pictures are easily recognized by the relatives and friends of the deceased the place is known as ahac ke ka gha ee thun where the spirits make pictures of themselves A suicide ceases to exist for him there is no hereafter A man struck by lightning is buried he fell and in the position in which ho died his grave is filled with oarth and no mound ia raised over one aiho ia thus taken from life it may not be a matter of much moment but it is a fact that while mrs harrison herself wears B generous sized bustle mrs mckea and mrs russell II arrison are following the tide of fashion and wear little if any mrs blaine still clingi to the loved possession of the acae kind while miss blaine whose street dresses are stamped with all the quiet elegance of continental good style is not hampered by either a bustle or reeds in glicr dres |