History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

142

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

the latter, while the chief who traveled close behind him, uttered
wild words of incantation and threats, so that the evil spirit would
not enter on their pathway. A tree suitable to the purpose was
soon found and was approached with whoops, yells, cries of joy
and firing of musketry. In a short time it was cut down, and the
warriors ranging themselves along its trunk, attached their lariats
and drew it into the camp ground amid shouts of joy. The medicine man selected a few warriors to raise the sacred pole; the men
so selected performed the duty, while the remainder of the congregated Indians prayed to their god to keep off the evil spirit and
bless the undertaking. The tent was then pitched. Inside were
four stalls erected, with walls three feet high, two for the male
and two for the female dancers, generally young people who had
in a moment of imminent danger vowed to perform this service of
praise to the Great Spirit if he would only save them.
The medicine man announced everything ready, when the
dancers, numbering 40 maids and braves, entered their respective
stalls. The latter wore feathers in their scalplocks and otherwise
displayed a style of costume not yet adopted by the children of
civilization. They had nothing on but a coat of paint Some of
them were frescoed gorgeously and tastefully, while others, probably the married men and philosophers, put on their favorite colors
hideously and carelessly as if they cared not whether the girls
smiled on or spurned them. The squaws, however, had completed
their varied toilets with much care. They moved about among the
braves with perfect indifference and gave no sign that the airiness
of the warriors' dress offended them in the least. The orchestra,
composed of half a dozen chiefs with the usual tum-tum apparatus,
took its place shortly before midnight on Sept. 3, and to their music, the grunting of the medicine man, singers and head men, with
a wild song by the dancers, the ceremonies commenced. Each
dancer wasprovided with a whistle, made from the wing bone of a
goose, ornamented with feathers and colors. As they jumped
about they sounded shrill notes on these " musical" instruments,
which, blended with the whoops, grunts, yells and monotonous
tum-tun of the drums, fell upon the civilized ear with startling
effect. Hour after hour the dance was kept up, the only intermission being at the will of the drummers, who were relieved at intervals. At times the surging and noises subsided, when one of the
wise men recited tales of heroism for the edification of the young
dancers.
During the day-time the warriors gave sundry exhibitions of
their powers of endurance. A muscular brave stood unconcerned
while two chiefs stuck long skewers through the flesh of his shoulders. The lines of a horse were attached to the skewers, and the
warrior ordered to lead the animal around until the flesh gave way.
With blood streaming down his back and breast, and mingling
with the paint upon his dusky body, the strong savage walked
around for some hours without a murmur. Though the flesh upon
his shoulders tore in the direction of his neck, yet it did not give