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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1916)
East Oregonian Rmirvd-Up Souvenir Edition Pendleton, Oregon, Thursday, September 21, 191 6 ' S IT"" ' Some FactsAbout Indian Dances Old-time Dance are Largely Extinct Through Fact Inspiration i Gone. War Dance no Longer RealUtic. Social Dance Survive. You Are Known By the Company You Keep Twenty-Four Page la these- modern timet) when the subject of dancing la commanding bo much attention that It la a poor aeu aon that doe not produce some doz en or more new steps It might not com amiss to write something of the dances which were in vogue in thla northwest before the white man came with the waltz and two-step and their distorted descendants. The dance la aa old an the human race and the Indiana, like all aavaKe people, made It 'an important feature of their social and ceremonial life. They had their war dances, their medicine dancea, their wind dunces, their sun dancea, scalp dances, death dances and many other danCea with which to celebrate, commemorate and conjure. Tew of the dancea persist today In their original form because many of them have lost their significance. Why hold a war dance when there are no more wars and how dunce a scalp dunce without sculps Many of the Indians, too, are be coming enlightened and not a few have embraced the Christian faith. Thus the dances based upon supersti tion and thoaa having a religious im port are gradually oecoming lost In disuse. Those which endre most nearly In their pristine form are those used at social and ceremonial gath erings. Tlic Indian Drum. The Indian dancing is done to drams made by airetchlng rawhide over a rim of wood and Is almost always accompanied by chaining. The familiar step and the one used with sight variations In the mujorlty of the Indian dunces, consists merely In a slight bending of the knee, then a straightening of the legs, the first movement being accompanied by a ris ing upon the toes and ball of the foot with a (settling baric upon the heel as the legs axe straightened. The arms are generally bent at right an gles, the hands held In front and mov ing slightly In time with the beating of the drums. In the war dance and in some other dunces the movements are much more animated and the body Is made to express the spirit o! the dance. Sometimes it Is stooped far over with hack swayed and then straightened, the movements having a sinuous grace that Is indescribable The dances staged by the Indians at the Kound-L'p are commonly call ed the war dance me step-and-a-half and love dance. However, they are very abbreviated, due to the lack of time for the full dance and the ab sence of the Inspiration which was a fundamental art of the original. The real war dance, ns danced by the Indians In the days when they fought with tribal foes, I practically unknown among the northwest In dians, according to authorities. Such part of It as Is given these days by the modern Indians m not to be com pared with the wild rush and frenzy of the genuine wur dunce as danced about the campflree of the Cayuga and Umatillas In the days when they made war upon their hereditary foes, the Bannocks. War Imuhv a pruma. Tfce old war dunce wns In reality a drama A good description of Its manifestations and meaning is to lie hud from the description given by lay Lynch, formerly aupcritneudeiit of the school at the Yakima Indian Agency, Fort Slmcoe. Wash., in a let ter to Major Moorhouae of this city in. epen the wind spirits to come to the 106. In part he wrote as follows. jellef of the Indians and drive away while the women who have been the snow. If the Chinook did not chanting with the drummers retire come soon the dance was resumed un to the rear. The warriors in front til the warm west wind put In an ap brandlsh their tomahawks, uttering pearance. Then the sorcerers tri- their peculiar war whoops and mak ing such gestures with arms as to rep resent a battle with the enemy. Some one then returns to the chiefs from the war party and reports of the bat tle and victory. This Is all done, without words, by movements and dancing and bearing trophies of the victory. The drummers and women then -t up a chant and wail In mourning of the dead. I do not think thul any white woman can produce these sounds of lamentation. The icene then changes by the return of a war party who carries something, usually In the belt, representing the scalps taken in the fight and bear ing other trophies or the victory. The warriors then form a circle ami dunce what Is commonly known as the war dance or scalp dunce. As they dance this celebrated 'lance they brandish their tomahawk; and arti cles as they have to represent scalps, with war whoops and frantic gestured umphantly claimed that- they bad brought the Chinook and they gained not only fame but more substantial rewards." 'file fii-alp I)au. The same authority In describing th scalp dance, says: "in the sculp dance the women did the dancing in side a ring formed by the other mem bers of the clan sitting around. The dancers were half naked, hideously bedaubed with paint and with dishev eled hair. They danced about while those sitting around sang a wild, mo notonous song and beat on boards with clubs." The Medicine Dunce. One of the dances of the old Uma tillas was the medicine dance but they never developed It to the extent that the coast Indians did. In tact the coast Indians spent much more time dam-lug than did the upland tribes lor the reason thul the long rainy pe riods kept them conlined indoors and lorced them to turn to the dance for in celebration of the victory. "Sometimes lit the end of this dam e I pastime. . an individual warrior or warriors will, Thmas N Strong of l'ortland ome make short speeche? to the chiefs! year a&o contributed an article to and tell them of the Incidents of the (he urch'onaii in which he gave ,i I'Uttle and boast of some of their graphic description of the medicine deeds. This is rhe only instance unine w inch, be sas, was at iU best where there is any talk, and often thl among the coast tn:es. It was held is omitted, in relating their exploits. n a long lodge, "in such a, lodge,' it Is often very amusing to heat t h wrote. "In we of aickns vt some tht-m draw on their Imaginations in , distinguished person, there would be relating their brave deeds anil exploits . ' gathered at night a hundred or mote The dunce Is closed by a dance of the Indians In ihe sunken place m the men and women witn a chant oi , middle of the lodge cleaned out for thanksgiving and praise. j this purpose, and near the fire, would "It generally takes from three to be placed upon a mat the sufferer four hours to go through the entire ightly covered with furs. Around performance. When these dances are the sides and ends or the lodge in given at exhibitions, they are gencr double and triple ranks each with a aily given only in part. The dress is pole In his hunds, would be placed usually the most picturesque feature every available Indian man, woman thing about the meaning of the' "ji a given signal from some mas dance, ter of ceremonies the dance would "I do not think It possible for any-be commenced by evrrjbody. at first one but an Indian to give this chant- i0viy but afterward more quickly. Ing, as It seems to be regulated, and juinp.ng up and down in their places the changes In the scenes and chants, j , tn, )ult chant of o-o-o. yo-o-o, V L. by the beat of the drums." The Chinook lid Dance. One of the dances peculiar to the Indians of the Inland Empire was the Chinook wind dance concerning which Col. William Parsons in his "History of Umatilla Counties," writes: "The Chinook wind dance was held when spring was deferred and the yo-o-o, o, the first three long drawn out and the last sharply cut off and shouted almost explosively. No one stirred from his position except mo notonously to Jump up and down with the pole held upright in both hands in front of him. so that the movement brought it into contact with the low roof In perfect time with the chant and the Jumping, the move- ...,. h-L-.n m nfr.r from laelt of '"'nt being so limed tnat the poles grass. The dance sometimes became struck the room all together with the very wierd- the sorcerers or witch final "yo." The noise was deafening doctors were much in evidence; the and the lodge would shake in every drumming became rapid and son... 1 timber. Alter this had gone on with ous the doctors grew excited and increasing enthusiasm for a half hour whirled about like howllne dervishes: i or so and the patient was supposed keep company with the pro fessionals all over the country There's a Reason. Ve Do a Mail Order Business -ON- High Grade Stock Saddles. Chaps Bits Spurs Boots Pendleton Indian Robes Riding Skirts Silk Manila Lariats Mexican Magney Ropes Sampson Spot Cord "Stetson" Cowboy Hats HAMLEY & PENDLETON, OREGON All of the 1916 Round-Up Prize Saddles are "Hamley" Made and "E.-Z" Rigged him from the demon that tormented him in ihe .ontesi the oatieM wiu- tossed and roughly handled, for In- dian devils come out reluctantly. The the more frantic bared their arm-; te sui.iceni.y prepa.eu anu me , , d for hur taking .. ,v,mK.a i,h ulve: evil spirit properly alarmed, a terrific per.timume la. blood flowed profusely; the conjur-i noise would be heard in the darkness ers suck it from the wounds, and outside, and suddenly the medicine even tore strips of flesh from their niun with four or five assistants arms with their teeth and devoured would come bounding through the them like wild animals. These wild door with howls and yells Into the p.rformancea were thought to show Mnoky interior. They looked like sre.it bravery and manhood, and the fiends, bodies nakel, faces covered doctors showed their scars In the fu- with a hideous mask over which tow- I !!!!l!!l!l!l!!!ll!i!!l!!!!IM giiiiitiiiMHiiiiHinii'HiiiiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiimiiiniiiiniiiH lure with much pride. During the fed a trignttul neaauress, and in l.elitht of the orirv the witches called their hands rattles, large cumbersome . I things covered with teeth and feath- ' " Kf " ' ,. a.1Vs'i - - t , . . , ... with patience and before man das.. ; un Th HrAiu vur!il with riifferenr 1 the greater part of the night. analr the assemblage was wrought up to a frenzy. The treatment stopped only; because human nature could endure no longer. With the smoke, noise and general atmosphere, the interior of the lodge became unbearable and g the physical strain was too great to be longer endured. Sustained an.l soothed by his struggle with the ev:l; one in his body, tne sick man nimseu,- rrT7-T-r-T7--- tffR I Tif IS yi I0E30C I0E30C I0E30 B o LIGHTS THE WAY TO EASIER METHODS -GREATER COMFORTS AT A LQV.tR COST. II -w M-i!':"H;;1H''""V,.'ll'tM!'l lilt I'lIM II! 'II 'lllll,lli'iri!IIi!lli'llll,l,!l,"l 1111111111 8 ml N OTfPf iS-1,,-i, 11 1 'I t "irr;;;"';"";; ttM "ill' li h I J I iFf fwfl !N n!i ; mm 111 11 I s i in iW ii FHiM ' it" r ""'li r )mlu i ii llii I 1 1 1 s HiiH h i Ph! tmrvM fti i ho H H in ?H Iph 2 .,in, M-liiiMttJMwQ ilililiiyilliillWIli' 1 , I M;l; : l I ! S lj m Lihting 111 F Cooking If S I ;l" Heating- I1 11 Power Home . I ! I 0ffice II Store t 1 Q Factory ;i I o III1 n ' . ers. This dress varied with different people and diflerent medicine men. but the one idea was to make it hid eous and awe inspiring as pussibb . so as to Impress "find frighten the de mons who had wrought the ev witchcraft upon the sufferer. Not for one moment did the dancing, churning or pounding cease or van in Ms monotony. The medicine man howling dismally circled with great! generally gave up the ghost. At many of the dances there was g an orator to make an address and he generally recounted the history of the! S tribe telling of the brave deeds ofj warriors past and present and en Joining his hearers to emulate them. However, except for the student and the closely obsen-ant, most of the Indian d;ices are interesting chiefly "lifllileiis llic Way tough life" -ALSO GAS Pacific Power & Light Co. Always at your service leaps and bounds about his patient in because of the baroaric splendor ot sporting phrase, sparring for an open I the dancers, for the Indians, just like I ing to get to close grips with the evil their white brothers and sisters, put j spirit Finally his chance came. The spirit, Invisible to all hilt him, had I been caught ofr his guard. He rushed ! in. seized the sirk man. and with ! hands and teeth attempted to dra on their tinest learners wnen mej .lance. The dancing irarb of some Is ; f unite like the dancing garb of somejg modern society belles, chiefly attrac- t.ve because of its scantiness. I Buff Vernon Denies He Was Drowned R. G. Paine Wm. Purchase and several . IOE30I IOE30 "How can a cowbo be drowned world's championship when he is in a dry state'."' was the times since i Er very pertinent query raL-ed by Hutta- "I'ompotition at The Hound-l'p be- Id Vernon, popular KounJ-l'p per- tween the real thoroughbred cowboys former, when he read In the Billboard who are top-liners Is tight enough to S that he was supposed to have been make a rattler squeal. For it's E drowned. "Huff" promptly took h.s Hook em cow; bite 'em lip: row-de-' pen In hand and in the following let- dow everywhere. j p ter to the llillboard dispelled the re- stay a long time, cowboy; you're a E port that he had met a wet and un- bear.' i timely end. "At the Pendleton Hound-l'p is "In the llillboard I'm supposed to where ou see Indians and cowboys a- Eg be drowned at Borne place with a plenty. I came within a few points Ej heavenly twang dovtn in Texas On last vear of winning the Richard K.'g Ihe billboards out here (Pendleton, Fo gold belt, awarded each yeur j Ore.) I'm scheduled to bulldog, rope there to the champion all-round cow- and tie a few wild long-horn steers boy. I sure am going to rope and at Pendleton, and Oregon's a dry hoglie that belt his year. state. There sure Is a discrepancy "My career would run like a movie ' si somewhere In the statistics on my picture serial film with no end. Have i health. hit the trail with Buffalo Hill; feature "I sure was glad to get your letter attraction at the Lewis & Clarke. n and be able to put the bunch right, f;,jr; Kave the exhibition of steer bull- E for I am not the guy in Texas, but am dogging for President Roosevelt when Hj still here and rearin' to go. Don't he visited Cheyenne; have been clean- j even know the other chap, and am nc u,, nn frontier contests all over l sure he is not of th same herd, at the west; gave exhibitions across the the same time am sorry 'to hear of pond and in Australia, and have been! his misfortune. Our bunch of Ver- Hnexinir a few championships nt va-i Tr nons are 'punchers and. while you ri., time at the big show of them j might get a cowboy more or less pick- an the Pendleton Round-T'p. I led. I've never yet heard of one get- sa. my friend, It's not slow musbv jg ting clear drowned. nd flowers for me Just yet; my "If you or any of the bunch come health is too good. And h sure is out here to the Round-Cp, at Pendle- .nme mistake to advise a man he's' Hjg ton, Ore., B-ptember 21, 22 and S3, drowned when he's living In a dry. a where they hold genuine contests for ,tr and try to make him believe It ; cowboys and cowgirls, you will sure "Hore to meet some fellows from 5 see some real sport. They originated The Hillboard in Pendleton next Pen- Ihe wild steer biilblocging contest, tember II. It's a cinch the bunch and yours truly had the .honor of will be here, nn.l there w winning the first contest held for the and doin's. !et 'er buck! 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