Show squaw tells tale of primitive love remarkable kable story secured by smithsonian man washington childhood love and death in a primitive society are pictured in an intensely human document just alss issued ed by the smithsonian institution it Is the life story of a southern cheyenne woman told by herself the narrative was secured by dr truman michelson smithsonian ethnologist there are many common elements in the life of tills this child of a nomadic prairie people and little littie girls everywhere the autobiography bears witness at first she says we girls played what aliat we called tiny play our mothers made rag dolls like men women boys girls and babies we used forked sticks for ponies and placed the tiny people on the fork ot of the sticks pretending to m awve e camp sometimes a baby would be born or a marriage would take place in fact anything we knew about other people we did not allow any boys to play with us we had rag dous dolls to represent boys repulsed all Sul suitors tors As I 1 grew a little older we L placed I 1 aae d what we called large play this play consisted of real people namely boys and girls the boys would go out hunting bunting and bring meat and other food we girls would pitch our tepees and make ready everything as it if it were real camp caknip life some of the boss would go on the warpath karpath and always come home victorious they would relate their war experiences telling how successful they were we girls would sing war songs to acknowledge the bravery of our heroes As she grew older various young braves tried to force their attentions upon her but being an exceptionally tio nally proper maiden according to the tea ellings of her people site she repulsed all her sul tora tors one goe evening she came home from a visit to a girl chum to find that a man whom she barely knew by sight had been negotiating with tier her father for her band she was told that her parents were growing old and must make some provision for the future of their children so after she had consented her relatives escorted her to a point near the camp of her intended husband there she relates imy my future husbands women folk met me carried me in a blanket the rest of the and let me down to the entrance of his tepee I 1 walked in find and sat beside him tie he was a stronger stranger lie ile had de never verdome come to see me after some little time the women brought in many shawls dresses rings bracelets leggings and muc moc caslis then they had find me change clothes they braided my hair and painted my face with red dots on my cheeks checks her wedding attire this was lier her wedding attire they wore were married and I 1 II 11 I 1 the years that mot followed had eight children then slie she continued my husbands huse health became brol broken H he e and summoned many indian dt doctors and gave away much personal wearing apparel and some clothing one day lie he pledged a sacrifice offering a sacred ritual which Is regarded as a prayer to the spirits for health and strength but lie he passed away before we could carry out his pledge 1 I surely loved my husband his death made roe me very lonely and was a terrible event la in my life my hair was exit cut off just below my ears this was done by an old woman before cutting off my braids she first raised both tier her hands toward tile sky touched the earth with the palms of her hands and made a downward motion repeating four times thus my braids were cut cul off in accordance with the belief that the spirits would be plen pleas pl f d and extend blessings and sympathy to the berea bereaved Ned the old woman was given a blanket and a dress nis his death marked the passing of our tepee it if people do not come and carry away something the whole is destroyed by fire |