The Chemawa American, April 01, 1916, Page 31, Image 31

THE CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
which must have been easily 30(1 yards. The tepees, in most instances,
a ere of canvas decorated with strange designs in brilliant colors and
s retched around tall poles, Indian fashion, so that there was a large open­
ing at the top through which the smoke from the fire in the center of the
tent escaped.
The visitors were invited inside one of the tepees, through an inter­
preter, and asked to seat themselves on the ground in a circle around
he tent facing inward. Then breakfast was served. And such a
breakfast
Ihere was peculiar bread made of cornmeal, fried bacon
big chunks of deliciously fried beef and coffee brewed in a huge tin pot
buUragrant and appetizing. Tin plates, cups, knives and forks were
The meal over with, speeches were in order. Now a speech, to an
Indian, ,s a formal, solemn thing. One by one the chiefs arose and
welcomed the visitors, called them "brothers'’ and hoped they would
enjoy the ceremonies. A chief would speak for a while, with many
gestures, then pause while the inteipreter translated. After each speech
one of the visitors, in turn, spoke and the interpreter translated his re­
marks to the Indians. Several hours were necessary for this mutual
exchange of good wishes.
Another hour was consumed in a tour of the camp. Indian rugs and
skins were piled thick in each tepee, and there were beautiful articles
of beadwork which a number of the visitors purchased. The little In­
dian boys and girls were most interesting, and the way in whi-h even
the very young ones among them rode about "bareback.” three and
tour of them on a single horse, was truly amazing.
Another chief entertained them at dinner in his teepe, and a short
w lile later the dancing began. If you have never seen an Indian dance
it is difficult to describe it so that you will get a true picture of it. The
Indians, naked to the waist, with their faces and bodies painted in
grotesque, colorful designs and wearing feathers and ornamental bead-
work dance round and round in tune to a queer sort of “ drum” which
the old men, m the center of the circle, beat monotonously, chanting
all the while in queer, high-pitched, prolonged tones. The dancers
stamp, jump and leap up and down, shake their heads and their bodies
litter strange cries and keep time to the “ drum-beats” with rattles.
. Each dance is symbolic of some event in the history of the tribe and
though they seem much the same to the untrained eve. are really
different.
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Generally the men dance alone, and the women have their dances
too. But several were held in which the men and the women and every­
one of the visitors danced at the same time, round and round some­
times with hands clasped so as to form a huge circle hut more often