1911: [Cultural Indian dances] originated when the earth was created - Prairie Chief
INDIANS ANNUAL DANCE STOPPED BY BLUE LAWS
When Great Event Was Forbidden to Begin..
Red Men Folded Their Tents and Filed Away
Red Men Folded Their Tents and Filed Away
1911, July 13 The Wichita Daily Eagle
Calumet, July 12 -- Indian amusements have their failures much like the white man they are not discouraged by one failure. Disappointed in enjoying the annual dance here they packed their goods and started for the next one scheduled.Little Chief is a Cheyenne. Each year, at his farm, the Indians have enjoyed their dance and the dance was named after that most desired by them, rain, sun or corn, and if nothing was desired then it was just an Indian dance.
The 1911 dance was scheduled to begin Saturday noon but owing to the non-arrival of some invited guests it was postponed until Sunday evening. That's what started the trouble for there are some blue law advocates among the Indians and these declared, Sunday morning, that the dance should not be held on Sunday. [Note: Blue Laws are a law prohibiting certain activities on a Sunday.]
Anti-blue law advocates said if they could not start the drums Sunday that they would pack their playthings and away to the next one at Cantonment. So the great throng of visitors quietly folded their tents and as quietly went away.
Even if there was no dance the people had not made the journey in vain, about 1500 of them gathered at the vast picnic ground and enjoyed their visit to the utmost. There was feasting, giving of presents and fun in general. Next year when it is time for the dance they will again gather here and if the dance is not held then they will not be disappointed.
Give Many Presents
One of the big features at the dance is the present giving. Always at these gatherings the Indians give each other presents. The women folks work many days and nights making fancy articles, mostly beaded work, moccasins, leggings, purses and blankets, and these they give away to friends and relatives. These articles do not cost much in real money but as long as there is an Indian there will be presents given. White people pay high prices for these articles.
The older Indians seemingly prefer to be by themselves, though white visitors are treated cordially. The Eagle representative was made welcome, and shown through the camp. Articles of their own handicraft were proudly exhibited and he learned one thing, that the Indian has a heart as big as all out doors and that parent love is so strong in those seemingly stoical men and women that woe betide those who slight these little red skin babies. If you want to see an Indian beam with joy notice their children. The parental affection is so deep that it is understood only by themselves and those that work among them. .......................................
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INDIAN DANCES TO
BECOME THING OF PAST
Education by Government of
Red Men Takes Interest From Former Customs
1911, Aug 20 The Wichita Daily Eagle
Watonga, Okla, Aug 19 -- Will Indian dances soon become a matter of history only? Present indications are that they will. The Indians are fast assuming the ways of the white man, becoming educated and industrious, and Indian agency attaches everywhere are striving to encourage the discontinuance of the pastime.Little Chief, a Cheyenne, advertised a dance to be held at his place, near Calumet a short time ago and made great preparation for the event. The invited guests were slow in arriving, and many did not arrive at all. When it was finally decided to start the dance on Sunday there were strong objection on the part of those Indians who believe in the observance of the Sabbath and the dance was called off, and many returned to their homes, while many others sought the next dance, which was to be held at Cantonment.
De Forest Antelope, one of the best educated and most industrious farmers of this section and himself an Indian, says regarding these gatherings:
 |
| 1911, Aug 20 The Wichita Daily Eagle |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indians Would Keep Their Tribal Dances
Cloud Chief and Warriors Protest to Oklahoma Governor
Claim Agents Have Issued Orders Saying "Hops" Must Cease
Red Men Say Their Rights Are Being Encroached Upon
1911, Dec 3. Star Tribune
Oklahoma City, Okla, Dec 3 - Cloud Chief, hereditary chief of the Southern Cheyenne Indians; Prairie Chief, a lesser light of the same tribe, with three Cheyenne warriors and John Washee, chief of the Arapahoes, held a council with Governor Cruce in the executive office last week and urged the governor to aid the Indians to maintain their dances. Two in particular -- the willow and the giving dances are involved in orders recently issued by the Indian agents, saying they must cease. These dances are ceremonial in nature, the governor was told, and were a sort of periodical entertainment in which no Indian was compelled to indulge."The swift stream of civilization is taking away from the Indian about all his forms of entertainment," the interpreter, speaking for Cloud Chief, told the governor, "and he wants to know if there is not some way this last encroachment upon the Indians' rights can be stopped."
It was stated that the Indians had repeatedly been informed at Washington they were citizens of the state, therefore, save in their property relations, were subject to the laws of Oklahoma, and not the federal government. In view of this they wanted to know if there was anything in Oklahoma law preventing indulgence in the dances mentioned. In telling his tale to the governor through the interpreter Cloud Chief, with feet encased in patent leather shoes and wearing a blue serge coat, with light colored trousers, made liberal use of the sign language to make himself clear.
Cloud Chief, while himself devoted to the Christian religion, alleged that missionaries distributed through the tribe had urged the agent recently assigned there to protest against further indulgences in the dances, upon the ground, they said, that they were injurious to the people of the tribe. Cloud Chief made it plain that he did not object to missionaries, but did think they should not interfere to the extent of taking away from the Indians what was left of their "enjoyment."
Like the Sun Dance
The interpreter explained to the governor that the willow and sun dances were much the same. It is not an annual hop, as white people suppose, but only when some member of a clan registered a vow, either in behalf of his wife or a relative, he gave notice that he was to have a willow dance, in which all members of that clan are supposed to participate. Only men take part, it is a ceremony also in recognition of some sort of special service rendered the Indian people, but just what was the character of the vow was not revealed. It takes its name from the fact that the upper part of the dancers' bodies are bare and painted in red, green, yellow, etc., while from the waist hang strips of willow. It lasts two or three days, all the tribe are invited to witness but not participating smacking of indecency was basically tabooed. No liquor was allowed on the grounds.
The giving dance was what the name implied, the interpreter said, and takes more the form of a coming-out party for some younger members of the tribe, the chief feature of which is exchange of presents. This lasts one to three days and both men and women participate. Nothing that the Indians are in need of is given away. The presents consist of ponies, money, blankets, trinkets, etc. with which go good wishes, hope for prosperity, etc.
Cloud Chief explained that the dances were given only after crop work was over and that no one was compelled to attend or give anything away. In one season, he said, following the giving dance, his tribe would visit a neighboring tribe or section of the same tribe, which would also have a giving dance, and by this means, he explained, scores were kept even in a social way. He heard the agent say that congress would pass a law prohibiting dances, and told him it would be no use for him to complain to the interior department.
Governor Cruce replied that the tribes were unfortunate, in that they were compelled to treat with two governments in their affairs; that the federal government, when Oklahoma became a state, should have left the affairs of the Indians exclusively to the state, and thought the departmental rules should be relaxed, since the Indians were surrounded by white people and places of civilization. It is the purpose of the state law, he said, to safeguard the rights of the Indians, the same as those of white people.
If the dances had been properly explained to him by the interpreter, his understanding being that there was nothing immodest in the ceremonial garb, there was nothing in the state law, the governor said, prohibiting them. He added that as the dances were described they were not as objectionable to him as some of the dances indulged in by white people.
The governor said the Indians should be permitted to choose their enjoyments, provided they kept within decent bounds, and no one ought to object.
Prairie Chief told the governor that these dances originated when the earth was created; that the Indians inherited many dances which were indulged in the old days, when he was young - he is not about 70 - but those that the Indians have retained to keep up the racial spirit would soon pass away. The old members intended, if they could, to keep them up.
"We want our right to worship," he said to the interpreter, "the same as the white people do - our God, and live by our traditions."
"The right to worship as you see fit shall be yours," said the governor, "for it is guaranteed by the Oklahoma constitution and the laws, so long as it does not interfere with others and there is nothing in that worship which appears to civilized people as being immoral."
When this bit of information was imparted to the chieftains and warriors through the interpreter there was a chorus of grunts, afterward explained to mean their approval.
 |
| 1911, Dec 3. Star Tribune |
 |
| 1911, July 13 The Wichita Daily Eagle |
