Show Indian Ne ew v Years Year's By DR E. E A. A BATES HE LIE soft white snow v has covered cov coy A ered the hills bills and In hi the valI valleys val I leys the song of ot the robin and the cricket et Is no longer heard Even the purr of the 4 little brook In the bark bark- housed village Is silenced by bythe bythe bythe the fingers of the overhangIng overhang overhang- Ing lug ice fee and the quiet hour has bas come to the soul of the red man At such a time in midwinter when the moon Is full ut at midnight the New NewYork NewYork York Indian and his kinfolks prepare for their ceremonial of the New Year This ceremony centers around his faithful companion the dog no other animal has an nn equal hold ou on the heartstrings heartstrings heartstrings heart heart- strings of the Indian The rhe dog daily dally teaches him the sought ever virtue of ot loyalty Then too the dog alone knows the trail trull to the land beyond the sky when the life trails of ot the red men are ended Thus It was in the olden days that the Six Nations selected a pure white dog clog and by solemn gestures cast their sins Into the sacrificial animal The tire lire of white oak chips was kindled under the strangled do dog and as the smoke ascended the Indian knew v that his confession of sin and plea for tor forgiveness forgiveness for for- heness carried in the soul of the dog had hail reached the seeing nil knowing all Great Spirit far up in the land of the departed Even today the old age ritual Is carded carried car car- ried ded out by the Iroquois but Instead of a white dog feathers and ribbons from headdresses are burned with all the ancient ceremony of their fore fore- fathers Enemies become friends harsh words ore are forgiven family dissensions dissensions dis dis- dis are healed debts are paid and parental objections vanish as lovers lovers lov lov- ers plight anew their troth at this Indian ceremony of the New v Year Intertribal Intertribal In In- tribal ter discord Is banished old loyalties loy loy- are renewed and a u fresh trail troll trollIs Is blazed for a New Year on the dally earth trail of each red rell man nian e E J I |