THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
PAGE 4
BE CHEERFUL
(Continued from page 1 )
charity and good-will. These are the avenues of joy
which open up to us the sources of all good.
The reason why life is a great disappointment to so
many is that we have not been trained to choose our
thought guests, the thoughts that make for happiness,
that uplift and encourage, that bring sunshine, hope
and joy into our lives. We have not been trained to
right thinking and we close the avenues of joy by
allowing hostile thoughts which bring blackness, de
spair and discouragement to make their home in our
minds.
Readers, when you use your mental powers as the
Creator intended that you should use them, you will
not be seen going through this beautiful world, pack
ed as it is with everything imaginable for our happiness
and comfort, with long, gloomy faces and sad expres
sions. On the contrary you will be joyous, helpful,
contented and successful.
Of all seasons of the year Christmas is the special
time for human joy—if there is any special time for
being happy. Christmas is almost here, so let all
throw gloom aside and abide in joy. The American
wishes its readers A Merry Christmas and A Happy
New Year.
DOMESTIC ART NOTES
Howdy Folks! You surely would think we are
industrious if you saw how busy we are. The Christ
mas sale is over, but not the Christmas spirit.
The freshmen are busy making costumes and they
have practically completed Santa’s bags.
Williamette Blakeslee and Ferol Porter are substitut
ing in Mrs. Kirk’s place while she is recovering from
her surgical operation.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year, au revoir till next year.
AN INDIAN AFFAIR
The Blackfoot Indians have a custom that is kept up
every year during their celebration on the Fourth of
July. The Indians each have a saddle horse, while
some have big wagons, and they form a parade and all
ride single file in a slow procession to get trees and
willows which are used to make a medicine lodge.
A ceremony is performed while the younger Indians
are making the lodge. The Indians believe that the
great spirit enters the lodge and blesses it. In the cen
ter of the lodge is a large tree, a sort of Indian Christ
mas tree, and the Indians have a superstition that if
you offer something to the spirit nobody will die in
your family; therefore, they all give new materials,
tobacco and things that they think the spirit could
use, and put them on this tree by the medicine man.
Nobody is allowed to take these things unless they
give something in return or some misfortune will come
to them.
At the back of this lodge is a booth made up of wil
lows and covered with Indian blankets where the med
icine man stays with his three helpers; these are two
women and one man. The only thing that can be seen
are their heads, and they have whistles made of wil
lows which are blown while the medicine man is pray
ing, and they have an up and down motion that they
do in time with the blowing of the whistles. During
this time they all sit with their heads covered for three-
fourths of an hour, after that the dancing begins.
At the foot of the tree, in the center of the lodge, a
hollow is dug by two men and a big fire is started, then
the four drummers sit by the fire and beat the drum
and sing softly at first. They gradually get louder
until finally at their loudest the medicine man begins
the dance and all the warriors join in. These Indians
are all dressed in their Indian clothes and others with
painted bodies go in the lodge to dance. Each Indian
has in his hand a bow and arrows, tomahawks, or some
weapon used by the Indians.
They jump, hop, and do a lot of yelling, which is
the warriors’ dance. No women are allowed to be in
the lodge when the warriors are dancing, but when
they are finished the women go in. The women and
men then dance together, which is called the Owl
Dance. The women choose their partners and they
hold the men around the waist and the men do the
same, with the other hands clasped in front, they form
a circle around the lodge, then the drummers start
singing and beating the drums.
The dance begins, the woman puts her right foot
forward and the man his left, then bring the other foot
up even with the first foot. They use this same
motion all the time until the drummers stop, circling
around and around inside the lodge, then the dance
is ended.
SELF-RESPECT
We believe there is nothing so important in the for
mation of character in our youths as what is known as
self-respect. This is an element of character that urges
onward all who possess it. It causes its possessor to
stand upright in the face of trial, to look mankind
squarely in the face, and to demand that which is
right because it is right. He who possesses re
spect for others, respect for law and order, for the
Golden Rule, is a good citizen and a true friend.
No one lacking self-respect can expect to pass as a
true lady or gentleman.
He who lacks self-respect is poor indeed. He is
shut off as a leper from the esteem of his fellows.
They trust him not, for how can anybody esteem
another who shows by his every act that he has no
respect for himself? There can be little to admire, but
much to shun, in one who lacks respect for himself.
A true spirit of self-respect has carried the day for
many a sorely-tried man or woman. Let our students
cultivate self-respect, for it is of as great importance as
any study they are now carrying—possibly greater.