Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan Tribes West of the MississippiBushnell, David I. (David Ives)
History
Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan Tribes West of the Mississippi
Bushnell, David I. (David Ives)
Algonquian Indians; Caddoan Indians; Indians of North America -- Dwellings; Siouan Indians
Say and his associates left the Kansa village to rejoin the main party
aboard the steamboat _Western Engineer_, then waiting near Isle au
Vache, but soon after starting on the journey were attacked by some
wandering Pawnee and forced to return to seek refuge among those whom
they had just left. And as told in the narrative, they were, as a
consequence, able to witness an interesting ceremony in one of the large
earth lodges. This was August 23, 1819. "Mr. Say's party were kindly
received at the village they had left on the preceding day. In the
evening they had retired to rest in the lodge set apart for their
accommodation, when they were alarmed by a party of savages, rushing in
armed with bows, arrows and lances, shouting and yelling in a most
frightful manner. The gentlemen of the party had immediate recourse to
their arms, but observing that some squaws, who were in the lodge,
appeared unmoved, they began to suspect that no molestation to them was
intended. The Indians collected around the fire in the centre of the
lodge, yelling incessantly; at length their howlings assumed something
of a measured tone, and they began to accompany their voices with a sort
of drum and rattles. After singing for some time, one who appeared to be
their leader, struck the post over the fire with his lance, and they all
began to dance, keeping very exact time with the music. Each warrior
had, besides his arms, and rattles made of strings of deer's hoof, some
part of the intestines of an animal inflated, and inclosing a few small
stones, which produced a sound like pebbles in a gourd shell. After
dancing round the fire for some time, without appearing to notice the
strangers, they departed, raising the same wolfish howl, with which they
had entered; but their music and their yelling continued to be heard
about the village during the night.
"This ceremony, called the _dog dance_, was performed by the Konzas for
the entertainment of their guests. Mr. Seymour took an opportunity to
sketch the attitudes and dresses of the principal figures." (Op. cit.,
p. 135.) The sketch made by Seymour was engraved and served as an
illustration in the narrative of the expedition prepared by James. It is
here reproduced as plate 30, _b_. The interior of the large earth lodge
is clearly shown. The "continuous series of mats" are suspended around
the wall, and the "bedsteads," as described, serve as seats for the
guests. Mats are also represented as spread over the floor in the
foreground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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