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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1927)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN PAGE 4 A REMARKABLE STORY (Continued from page 1) violin types of composition which resulted. “To begin with,” says “Nacoomee,” or Miss Griffs, as she is known in private life, “one must understand that the Indian dramatized everything”—the sun was the “incarnation” or “dramatization” or “He-Who- Makes” creating all things; the religious dances were dramatizations of beliefs about the universe, which he was always striving to understand. In the same way, he dramatized his own actions, his intentions, his emotions, and it was in song that he expressed every thing that came to him. When he went out to hunt, he sang—a song of his need, an appeal to the ‘ Great Mysterious One” for power, a call to the animals for generosity. When he courted his sweetheart in the night shade under the trees, he sang or played on his flute to bring her to his side. When he recounted his deeds, he made up a song about them, often beating with a stick to establish the rhythm. The songs which he made up were uniquely his own, no one could sing them without his permission even after he ha^ passed to “the Other Side of Darkness,” though a man could give away a song, as he might give away his name. The Indian women not only sang “sleep-songs” to their children, but they sang songs of “heart-cheer” to absent loved ones, believing that the one to whom the song was addressed would feel their heart-thoughts and be cheered and comforted. The musical instruments were primitive. On the flageolet, a reedpipe or flute, the plaintive “love-call” was sounded. It was used principally for serenading. But in the drums, the Indian found endless variety. It was the drum that kept tap for the social dances, that furnished the rhythm at the religious festivals; the drum with its slow insistence, the drum with its measured vibration, the drum with its possible incite ment, expressive of all states and stages of feeling— and the deep boom of the water-drum could be heard for miles; it was. Chief Tahan and his daughter have recently com pleted a tour through Vermont. This winter they plan to appear again in some of the larger cities—Boston, Washington, Cleveland and many other cities have known them in the past. They wish to present again to the chrildren the good in the Indian world, that strange world of phantasy and music, of idealism ard odd superstition, of dreams in which the dreamer was often puzzled to decide what was dream and what was waking, a world of beliefs, confused standards, great darkness perhaps—but a darkness shot through with dazzling shafts of light unmistakably divine. A NEW RESOLUTION WORTH TRYING One of the simplest and most effective methods oj bettering one’s health is by maintaining an erect pos ture. Posture is an expression of the mental and physical state; also posture may modify and control mental states. The cultivation of a happy, cheerful, optimistic nature more readily achieves results when efforts are also made to walk with an elastic, springy step, to hold the head erect, and the abdomen flat. In an erect posture body muscles tend to remain taut, and afford a proper support or pressure to the body in cluding the circulation of large blood vessels. In a habitual slouching posture the blood of the abdomen tends to stagnate in the liver and the splanchnic cir culation, causing a feeling of despondency and mental confusion, headache, coldness of hands and feet, and chronic fatigue or neurasthenia, and often constipation. One of the most important of all health habits is the habit of keeping good posture. When the head droops a strain is placed on the back of the neck and shoulders. When the shoulders stoop the chest becomes flattened and the lungs are cramped for room. When the body slumps forward at the hips the organs in the abdominal cavity are not held in natural position. At the same time the muscles are working a little harder then if the body were erect, for they are making an effort to hold the body from falling forward. A good posture can not be maintained unless the muscles are kept strong by exercising. If the shoulder muscles are too weak to hold in their normal position the chest tends to drop in. If the muscles of the back and abdomen are not strong the body slouches forward. It is not enough to have an erect carriage and a well-poised head. We must also have well directed feet. The foot in action should be placed on the ground with the line of direction parallel to the line of movement. The toes should point forward and neither be turned outward or inward. Games, outdoor sports, such as walking, swimming, basketball, handball, tennis and golf are excellent remedies for poor posture. The sitting up exercises of the U. S. Army if practiced daily, will help the muscles do the work of holding the body in a health ful position. Good posture pays because it improves the health, increases your economic value, gives you social stand ing, and inspires you with the spirit that wins. Therefore, be it resolved that in 1927 I will establish the habit of maintaining a good posture. When Mr. “Old-Timer” comes to Chemawa again he w’ill hardly know “Our Happy Home.” Every where things are humming and changes are being made for the betterment of conditions generally. Supt. McGregor believes in progress and in being up-to-date in things worth while. There is always an eye to necessity and permanence.
