| Show AN INDIAN alto in commodora tion of tho dead how it Is performed ay ri of alf tribe in V for lai nt ww asked iny friend brown nt camp in tho pino wood ii parly of u was stopping tor ft weeks rest and a few trout I 1 WH my reply 1 I have always desired to witness such a A powwow as I 1 presume most of my readers know is a sort of religious rno performed annually in commemoration of tho dead it is generally held at somo place where a dirgo number of indians arc buried together well then K nothing happens you can gratify eliat tonight to night said brown years ngo tho smallpox small pox killed off about half alic of mc and their burial ground or mound rather for they aro all buried together in a great heap is about three miles from this place I 1 saw omo 1 binns to daj and on asking them alicy were going they told mo that powwow began tonight to night aro alicy willing to receive visitors I 1 asked 0 yes answered brodu nothing pleases them more we act 01 just before dark tho trail wo followed led through tho pino woods and ans so slight that an untrained yo never would have linov tt was one hut brown who has spent most of his lifo in the woods lias be como almost an indian in the tricks and of woodcraft and ho to find it easy to keep in the path without the aid of a lantern which wo biad suggested rauch to lib amusement the night was not positively dark but as the sky was full of cloud alic way through ali c woods was at best a very shadowy and obscure obscuro one jl ark said brown as wo climbed to tiia top of a a wo lit and heard faintly sounds that reminded TOO of the howling of wolves as from my childhood which biad been spent in a wild unsettled country where wolves and oilier wild animagi were bilings we so familiar with eliat familiarity almost bred contempt theiu said brown its always tho eaic tiling oica mhd think get tired of it and have a change somo timo but they ewt As we went down the long of alio llio didgo alio sound began to grow more di it would come on the wind from tho valley and seem near by then the wind would die away and hie bound with it until it seemed far afi it was a sound between 1 howl tind a wail pitched in a minor key and cry mournful it grief and evaa diio sound you would expect a man to makis in expression of liis gorow if ho biad no words to express il ir all people express grief in bounds very enuch alike when no bordi arc bcd I 1 think there seems to bo a universal language for the various emo whether of joy or sorrow wo began to co lights shin ing through the trees A sharp turn in alie trail led us into a clear space on the side of alic hill from which wo look into indian camp which was situated on n small stream running through tho valley almost beneath our feet tho wigwams were at ono side of n clearing of perhaps an acre in extent acro probably about thirty of them tho powerful tribe is reduced to about two hundred men women and children and is doomed to become extinct in a few years in front of anch wigwam shouldered ed n cro about which alie cooking had been done at tho oilier end n araji irad from piles of resinous pine split into t mall crips these immediately and sent out a brilliant blaze which gave out a denso black smoke which roo and blended in with alio llio gloom of tho asnes encircling the little vamp jn the center of tho circle of liras roso a largo mound overgrown with buscc 1 in this the dead biad bacu buried in one ghastly heap for years they como nc ir alio snot said brown was afraid calcut alio disease that carried I 1 lio others oft you sec theres nothing in alie world tho ti so much braid of as smallpox small pox and well ho may be for it goes liui d urn it that one part of alio ceremonies of the evening biad been completed just before we camo in sight of the camp for the indians were standing about in garoupa outside aliu lino of fires mot mo t of them were clad in alic gayest attire which cochi ts of buckskin gin a long shirt of gaudy calico profusely and a blanket tho tho blanket tho dioro it is one green or naming red is always selected in preference to any other about each indians head is worn a shawl of many colors made into 1 tort of turban cheap jewelry is highly prized and atino unusual sight to see a doceu brass ring on a braves handa they anre worn without my regard 0 o fingers till being and it a riu liappess liap pens to be too large for alc tlc largest linger it oes on the the with a prodigious atone in it worn on tho thumb ia acry striking to say tho loa st though I 1 presume it look all right when ono got used to it aro pried among alio indiana and ot them seem 0 o leavo by ehg pound instead of tazo string by the quantity worn at ono niilo tho squads squaws and acro oj together 0 these elements of the bribo iribo nrc allowed to take part in alic powwow these indiana as amona most tribes tho women aro considered ol 01 but little account nc count they arc obliged to do the hard work about tho camp cook take care of tho and net a 9 beasts ol 01 burden when alio camp is broken up I 1 have often seen croat healthy indian mounted on ponies so that alio riders fact barely escaped the ground while in alio rear tho poor squaw was plodding along under a load of kettle mits of woven rushes of which part of alio wigwam h built and a oso tho bravo tries to look very in hn gaudy blanket willi n gun across ln s borso in front of him and always a cl ay iy sn his mouth nud M 1 general thing so dirt on lib face that no of war p lint prodded lio used the article would shaw through io always scenic to be salis ded with ld ap and tho poor patient squaw looks at him with admiration expressed on lier rather inexpressive face the old or last years blanket ia turned over to glicr on the nr of alic new ones anil sho never laiti alio llio opportunity to miko lucli n brilliant display as her lord and master docs her dresses liow capr for nil lie women of tribe wear a sort of mother II grown arc always gorgeous during alio llio early stage of choir existence but as this stage Is limited to the birst three or four days grease and dirt tako possession of them afler eliat time alio poor squaw enjoys only a brief and glory and ab sulan into winch all look alike trie oses wear but ono from spring to cold weather 1 sort of shirt ut bright calico which is never washed and never is taken off so far a I 1 could judge until it wears off As we stood there w saw he indians forming into lino at one side of lie circle of ares pretty soon wu bieard a thumping eliat was kept up in linic and none of us with the exception of brown knew liovvi it was produced wo found afterward that it was mado by sinking on pieces of heinbuck hein luck fastened over rt box lidd frame those pieces acro struck sticks ami the vibrations of the wood gave out a imitation of thu sound of a drum i sound can be heard n long way olt but is utterly lacking in ability to give pleasure to any but an indians car it 13 used at lalioo powwows bc canuso it docs not give pleasure if eliat is alio case it is appropriately selected for lie monotonous thump thump soon became almost unbearable to u one by ono the indians left the line thoy biad formed and sprang into alio pace between tho fires and alio uttering low dismal shrieks and cries after the ring was completed about alio llio mound a sort of a danco begin which seemed to bo on tho go as clenso order for was no regularity about it each indian seemed to a step of his own and tho variety was certainly to relieve this part of alic performance of alio llio of presently tho music grow fistor fist cr alic cries of alio dancers bc caino louder such wild dismal sounds I 1 never heard before haunted mo all at regular intervals the dancers would face the lumund and give to 1 howl in chonis it could bo not liing else with duo regard to aruth and alie on act WAS anything but pleasant just ai t leavo bloodthirsty warriors to when scalping the danco hii kept up for por liapi half an hour aa long I 1 should judge as tho participants could stand it without becoming tired something au indian natt ays objects to on principle guess w ed belter go down an talk with cm a little said brown and wo followed bim down the and into tho camp the squads squaws mumbled and chattered nebout to each other as we passed bliem alio osca eyed in keenly and cariou ly and alie breves brn ves welcomed us with eager demands hr nod whisky whisky is not allowed an indian and any one selling it to him is or imprisoned when alio is proved there is bothin no thin an indian will not do to gratify his ta ditc itc for liquor lie will oen work in a lazy fashion if ho thinks be will gel a drink of whisky at the end of it wo biad none for them but brown turned over to them all tho he biad and alie four or avri alio acro fortunate enough to get a gac grunts of while alio othora looked on with disapproval we talked with them for perhaps bialt nn hour they told us eliat thero acro hundred buried in tho mound that hie great spirit would bo if they did not come hero a year to perform these we biad seen wn nil eliat wo would bo likely to soo if wo remained nil natii ni for alio ceremonies were the same alin over and over all night and all the tim of their slay that being alio anse wo thought it better to withdraw and wo did su after alio close of dance what alio meanings of alio ceremonies are none of the indians to know I 1 do not suppose they cared to know they leold powwows from force of habat merely not from dinv inv religious con or i alo or spiritless fragments of the old tribes leavo religion seemingly and lc lt all tho arido and ambition that their ancestor and aluch cd them to keep alii 0 tho old traditions and observe alic old ritch and T of ta 11 his state has given up all but the powwow and he would give that up if not for a fear of what happen it lie were to neglect this mark of regard for tho dead 1 I do not think ins superstition would be as strong as his for whisky quilo suro that lio would forego pow bows wows for all limo to camu if 01 11 seca 0 1 of crable tu n 1 to enable him to have what lo 10 calls a heap good time isilie can not blamo the poor dege norato creaturo for thia for wo hao men and ability among w ho would do as much as the indian will for a drink of poison pois on to soul and body tan E aci jord tn Doston transcript |
