A Study of Siouan Cults: Eleventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1889-1890, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1861, pages 351-544Dorsey, James Owen
Religion
A Study of Siouan Cults: Eleventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1889-1890, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1861, pages 351-544
Dorsey, James Owen
Siouan Indians -- Religion
§ 207. The young men placed eagle pipes, as they were called, in
their mouths. These pipes were flutes which were made each from
one of the bones in an eaglet’s wing. They had to be sounded all
the time the young man was dancing. This dancing was done in the
manner of a buck jump, the body and legs being stiff and all
movement being upon the tips of the toes. The dancers kept looking
at the sun, and either dropped the hands to the sides in the
military position of “attention,” with the palms to the front, or
else held them upward and outward at an angle of 45 degrees, with
the fingers spread apart, and inclined towards the sun.
§ 208. When laid on the couch of sagebrush before spoken of,
each young man covered his face with his hands and wailed. I was
careful to examine each one, and saw that this wailing was a
strictly ceremonial affair unaccompanied by tears.
§ 209. Before approaching the tree the victims were naked, with
the exception of blue cloth petticoats and buffalo robes worn with
the fur outside, giving them the appearance of monks of the olden
time. The buffalo robes were, of course, thrown off when the young
men were laid on the sagebrush, preparatory to the scarification.
One young man was unable to tear himself loose, and he remained
tied up to the tree for an hour and seven minutes by my watch.
He fainted four times. The medicine man put into his mouth some
of the small red, bitter, salty seeds of the _Dulcamara_, while
the women threw costly robes, blankets, articles of beadwork and
quillwork, and others of the skin of the elk and antelope upon the
rope attaching him to the tree, in the hope of breaking him loose.
The articles thus attached to the rope were taken away by the poor
for whom they were given. There was any amount of this giving of
presents at all stages of the dance, but especially at this time,
and the criers were calling without ceasing, “So and so has done
well. He is not afraid to look the poor women and children in the
face! Come up some more of you people! Do not be ashamed to give!
Let all the people see how generous you are!” or words to that
effect. (I had to rely upon my interpreter, who was reputed to be
the best and most trustworthy at the agency).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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