Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884Eells, Myron
Religion
Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884
Eells, Myron
Clallam Indians -- Missions; Missions -- Washington (State); Skokomish Indian Reservation (Wash.); Twana Indians -- Missions
Next followed a meeting of the Temperance Society,
as six persons wished to join it. A white man who could do so, wrote his
name, and five Indians who could not, touched the pen while the
secretary made their mark. Three of these were sworn in English and two
in Chinook. The whole services were interspersed with singing in English
and Chinook jargon.
This was soon after I came here. During the past year we have often sung
in English, Chinook jargon, Twana, and Nisqually, on the same Sabbath.
Another medley Sabbath is given under the head of the Jamestown Church,
in connection with its organization.
(_b_) THEIR RELIGION.
Another great difficulty in the way of their accepting Christianity is
their religion. The practical part of it goes by the name of
_ta-mah-no-us_, a Chinook word, and yet so much more expressive than any
single English word, or even phrase, that it has almost become
Anglicized. Like the _Wakan_ of the Dakotas, it signifies the
supernatural in a very broad sense. There are three kinds of it.
First. The Black Tamahnous. This is a secret society. During the
performance of the ceremonies connected with it, all the members black
their faces more or less, and go through a number of rites more savage
than any thing else they do. They do not tell the meaning of these, but
they consist of starving, washing, cutting themselves, violent dancing,
and the like. It was introduced among the Twanas from the Clallams, who
practised it with much more savage rites than the former tribe. It is
still more thoroughly practised by the Makahs of Cape Flattery, who join
the Clallams on the west. It was never as popular among the Twanas as
among some other Indians, and is now practically dead among them. It
still retains its hold among a portion of the Clallams, being practised
at their greatest gatherings. It is believed that it was intended to be
purifical, sacrificial, propitiatory.
[Illustration: BLACK TAMAHNOUS RATTLE.]
[Illustration: BIRD MASK USED IN THE BLACK TAMAHNOUS CEREMONIES BY THE
CLALLAMS.]
Second. The Red, or Sing, Tamahnous. During the performance of its
ceremonies, they generally painted their faces red. It was their main
ceremonial religion. During the fall and winter they assembled, had
feasts, and performed these rites, danced and sang their sacred songs;
it might be for one night, or it might be for a week or so.
[Illustration: SWINE MASKS USED IN THE BLACK TAMAHNOUS CEREMONIES BY THE
CLALLAMS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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