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
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Chaps
Bits
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Pendleton Indian Robes
Riding Skirts
Silk Manila Lariats
Mexican Magney Ropes
Sampson Spot Cord
"Stetson" Cowboy Hats
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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-
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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,-
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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.
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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 .
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"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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