Show CURIOUS RITE OF AT ANCIENT TRIBE Remnant of Living in Oklahoma Cling to an anOld anOld Old Custom Up in tho ho northeast corner of the state of Oklahoma there Is a small band of Seneca Indians on a reservation reserva tion of the same name This Is a remnant remnant rem rem- nant of a nation of Indians that can bo be traced from the tho original Now England states as they were forced West and South by the tho encroachments of the tho whites and tho battle arm of stronger Indian bands that w-cro w constantly warring against them Among Among- this little band of Indians Indiana probably not moro more than n a hundred all told old there thoro are aro some somo curious heathen rites that seem to bo be instinctive with the tho tribe Among them there Is an old order known aa as the tho Wood Face Those who belong to the order can call In th the Wood Faces In case of sickness aa an anis is often done They go through a performance per per- that Is calculated to drive out from the tho sick soil person the evil spirit that may bo be hovering around time tho bed These faces are aro masks made mado of wood usually carved to represent a human form of some somo character but sometimes made to represent the tho head of an animal They are aro painted red and black with largo silver eyes and anda a horse tall tail for hair Drive Irive Spirits Away Arrayed In ono of these hideous masks together with rattles made mado of turtle shells fastened together at Ito tho outer edges with small stones between and tied to the tho legs of tho Wood Face as they dance danco roll and kick singing their Incantations the while the tho Indians present a scene calculated to drive away any evil spirit that might happen along and Incidentally drive the tho life out of the patient It appears that this organization has been In the tho tribe for many generation the tho modes of procedure differing sometimes sometimes some some- times but following the same general character Its secret signs and symbols are arc guarded as closely as Masonry anti and Its fraternal features are aro as binding Its Ils spiritual benefits are aro believed In Ini i Implicitly ma id t ly a |