Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical SketchDenig, Edwin Thompson
History
Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical Sketch
Denig, Edwin Thompson
Assiniboine Indians; Indians of North America -- Missouri River Valley
The scalp song is now struck up by the music, and joined in by the
whole circle, the women singing only in the second part of the tune.
In this song the name of the warrior who has killed the enemy is
introduced, with a few words alluding to the circumstances, though
without any violation of the tune or time. The part of the tune at
which the women commence is when the names or words are sung. The
rest consists in a loud chant by all the ring. After swinging to and
fro a moment they all move round in a circle by short side steps,
lifting their feet together and keeping the exact time with the drums,
and after describing one or two circles by these movements the song
concludes with a general shout from the men, the scalp is forcibly
shaken, and some warrior stepping forth from the ring recounts in a
loud voice either his share in the present glory or some of his former
brave deeds. This is received with a loud shout of approbation, the
drums beat up, the song commences and another round or two is performed.
Then some other makes a speech of a like nature, either in praise
of himself or of those who brought the scalps, and in this way it
continues for several hours. Occasionally some old woman will take
the scalp in her teeth and shake it like a dog, or throw it on the
ground and trample on and abuse it as though it were a living enemy,
concluding with a short speech in praise of the warriors, and the dance
proceeds as before, the music going round with the dancers.
During the night, or rather all night, nothing but the same dancing and
song is heard. They make small fires outside the lodges and a dozen or
so of young men and women, with a drum or two, sing and dance around
each fire, with or without the scalp, and without public speaking.
Sometimes 20 or 30 of such dances are going on in different parts of
the camp at the same time, all night and nearly all day, for weeks
in succession, until they grow tired of it, or some new excitement
supersedes. Their faces are blackened all this time and the color left
to wear off but never washed off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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