“At a very ancient period, O-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit, the black
fellow mentioned in the religious ceremonies) came to the Mandan
village with Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only man) from the West,
and sat down by a woman who had but one eye, and was hoeing corn. Her
daughter, who was very pretty came up to her, and the Evil Spirit
desired her to go and bring some water; but wished that before she
started, she would come to him and eat some buffalo meat. He told her
to take a piece out of his side, which she did and ate it, which proved
to be buffalo-fat. She then went for the water, which she brought, and
met them in the village where they had walked, and they both drank of
it—nothing more was done.
“The friends of the girl soon after endeavoured to disgrace her, by
telling her that she was _enciente_, which she did not deny. She
declared her innocence at the same time, and boldly defied any man
in the village to come forward and accuse her. This raised a great
excitement in the village, and as no one could stand forth to accuse
her, she was looked upon as _great medicine_. She soon after went off
secretly to the upper Mandan village, where the child was born.
“Great search was made for her before she was found; as it was
expected that the child would also be great _medicine_ or mystery,
and of great importance to the existence and welfare of the tribe.
They were induced to this belief from the very strange manner of its
conception and birth, and were soon confirmed in it from the wonderful
things which it did at an early age. They say, that amongst other
miracles which he performed, when the Mandans were like to starve, he
gave them four buffalo bulls, which filled the whole village—leaving as
much meat as there was before they had eaten; saying that these four
bulls would supply them for ever. Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (the first or only
man) was bent on the destruction of the child, and after making many
fruitless searches for it, found it hidden in a dark place, and put it
to death by throwing it into the river.
“When O-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit) heard of the death of this child,
he sought for Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah with intent to kill him. He traced
him a long distance, and at length found him at _Heart River_, about
seventy miles below the village, with the big medicine-pipe in his
hand, the charm or mystery of which protects him from all of his
enemies. They soon agreed, however, to become friends, smoked the big
pipe together, and returned to the Mandan village. The Evil Spirit was
satisfied; and Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah told the Mandans never to pass Heart
River to live, for it was the centre of the world, and to live beyond
it would be destruction to them; and he named it _Nat-com-pa-sa-hah_
(heart or centre of the world).”
Such are a few of the principal traditions of these people, which I
have thought proper to give in this place, and I have given them in
their own way, with all the imperfections and absurd inconsistencies
which should be expected to characterize the history of all ignorant
and superstitious people who live in a state of simple and untaught
nature, with no other means of perpetuating historical events, than by
oral traditions.
I advance these vague stories then, as I have done, and shall do in
other instances, not in support of any theory, but merely as I have
heard them related by the Indians; and preserved them, as I have
everything else that I could meet in the Indian habits and character,
for the information of the world, who may get more time to theorize
than I have at present; and who may consider better than I can, how far
such traditions should be taken as evidence of the facts, that these
people have for a long period preserved and perpetuated an imperfect
knowledge of the Deluge—of the appearance and death of a Saviour—and of
the transgressions of mother Eve.
I am not yet able to learn from these people whether they have any
distinct theory of the creation; as they seem to date nothing further
back than their own existence as a people; saying (as I have before
mentioned), that they were the first people created; involving the
glaring absurdities that they were the only people on earth before
the Flood, and the only one saved was a white man; or that they were
created inside of the earth, as their tradition says; and that they did
not make their appearance on its outer surface until after the Deluge.
When an Indian story is told, it is like all other gifts, “to be taken
for what it is worth,” and for any seeming inconsistency in their
traditions there is no remedy; for as far as I have tried to reconcile
them by reasoning with, or questioning them, I have been entirely
defeated; and more than that, have generally incurred their distrust
and ill-will. One of the Mandan doctors told me very gravely a few days
since, that the earth was a large tortoise, that it carried the dirt on
its back—that a tribe of people, who are now dead, and whose faces were
white, used to dig down very deep in this ground to catch _badgers_;
and that one day they stuck a knife through the tortoise-shell, and it
sunk down so that the water ran over its back, and drowned all but one
man. And on the next day while I was painting his portrait, he told me
there were _four tortoises_,—one in the North—one in the East—one in
the South, and one in the West; that each one of these rained ten days,
and the water covered over the earth.
These ignorant and conflicting accounts, and both from the same man,
give as good a demonstration, perhaps, of what I have above mentioned,
as to the inefficiency of Indian traditions as anything I could at
present mention. They might, perhaps, have been in this instance
however the creeds of different sects, or of different priests amongst
them, who often advance diametrically opposite theories and traditions
relative to history and mythology.
And however ignorant and ridiculous they may seem, they are yet worthy
of a little further consideration, as relating to a number of curious
circumstances connected with the unaccountable religious ceremonies
which I have just described.
The Mandan chiefs and doctors, in all their feasts, where the pipe
is lit and about to be passed around, deliberately propitiate the
good-will and favour of the Great Spirit, by extending the stem of
the pipe _upwards_ before they smoke it themselves; and also as
deliberately and as strictly offering the stem to the four _cardinal
points_ in succession, and then drawing a whiff through it, passing it
around amongst the group.
The _annual religious ceremony_ invariably lasts _four_ days, and
the other following circumstances attending these strange forms, and
seeming to have some allusion to the _four_ cardinal points, or the
“four tortoises,” seem to me to be worthy of further notice. _Four_
men are selected by Nu-mohk-muck-a-nah (as I have before said), to
cleanse out and prepare the medicine-lodge for the occasion—one he
calls from the _north_ part of the village—one from the _east_—one from
the _south_, and one from the _west_. The _four_ sacks of water, in
form of large tortoises, resting on the floor of the lodge and before
described, would seem to be typical of the same thing; and also the
_four_ buffalo, and the _four_ human skulls resting on the floor of the
same lodge—the _four_ couples of dancers in the “bull-dance,” as before
described, and also the _four_ intervening dancers in the same dance,
and also described
The bull-dance in front of the medicine-lodge, repeated on the _four_
days, is danced _four_ times on the first day, _eight_ times on the
second, _twelve_ times on the third, and _sixteen_ times on the
_fourth_; (adding _four_ dances on each of the _four_ days,) which
added together make _forty_, the exact number of days that it rained
upon the earth, according to the Mosaic account, to produce the Deluge.
There are _four_ sacrifices of black and blue cloths erected over the
door of the medicine-lodge—the visits of O-kee-hee-de (or Evil Spirit)
were paid to _four_ of the buffaloes in the buffalo-dance, as above
described; and in every instance, the young men who underwent the
tortures before explained, had _four_ splints or skewers run through
the flesh on their legs—_four_ through the arms and _four_ through the
body.
Such is a brief account of these strange scenes which I have just been
witnessing, and such my brief history of the Mandans. I might write
much more on them, giving yet a volume on their stories and traditions;
but it would be a volume of fables, and scarce worth recording. A
nation of Indians in their primitive condition, where there are no
historians, have but a temporary historical existence, for the reasons
above advanced, and their history, what can be certainly learned of it,
may be written in a very small compass.
I have dwelt longer on the history and customs of these people than I
have or shall on any other tribe, in all probability, and that from the
fact that I have found them a very peculiar people, as will have been
seen by my notes.
From these very numerous and striking peculiarities in their personal
appearance—their customs—traditions and language, I have been led
conclusively to believe that they are a people of decidedly a different
origin from that of any other tribe in these regions.
From these reasons, as well as from the fact that they are a small and
feeble tribe, against whom the powerful tribe of Sioux are waging a
deadly war with the prospect of their extermination; and who with their
limited numbers, are not likely to hold out long in their struggle for
existence, I have taken more pains to pourtray their whole character,
than my limited means will allow me to bestow upon other tribes.
From the ignorant and barbarous and disgusting customs just recited,
the world would naturally infer, that these people must be the most
cruel and inhuman beings in the world—yet, such is not the case, and it
becomes my duty to say it; a better, more honest, hospitable and kind
people, as a community, are not to be found in the world. No set of men
that ever I associated with have better hearts than the Mandans, and
none are quicker to embrace and welcome a white man than they are—none
will press him closer to his bosom, that the pulsation of his heart may
be felt, than a Mandan; and no man in any country will keep his word
and guard his honour more closely.
The shocking and disgusting custom that I have just described, sickens
the heart and even the stomach of a traveller in the country, and he
weeps for their ignorance—he pities them with all his heart for their
blindness, and laments that the light of civilization, of agriculture
and religion cannot be extended to them, and that their hearts which
are good enough, could not be turned to embrace something more rational
and conducive to their true happiness.
Many would doubtless ask, whether such a barbarous custom could be
eradicated from these people? and whether their thoughts and tastes,
being turned to agriculture and religion, could be made to abandon the
dark and random channel in which they are drudging, and made to flow in
the light and life of civilization?
To this query I answer _yes_. Although this is a custom of long
standing, being a part of their religion; and probably valued as one
of their dearest rights; and notwithstanding the difficulty of making
inroads upon the religion of a people in whose country there is no
severence of opinions, and consequently no division into different
sects, with different creeds to shake their faith; I still believe, and
I _know_, that by a judicious and persevering effort, this abominable
custom, and others, might be extinguished, and the beautiful green
fields about the Mandan village might be turned into productive
gardens, and the waving green bluffs that are spread in the surrounding
distance, might be spotted with lowing kine, instead of the sneaking
wolves and the hobbled war-horses that are now stalking about them.
All ignorant and superstitious people, it is a well-known fact, are
the most fixed and stubborn in their religious opinions, and perhaps
the most difficult to divert from their established belief, from the
very fact that they are the most difficult to reason with. Here is
an ignorant race of human beings, who have from time immemorial been
in the habit of worshipping in their own way, and of enjoying their
religious opinions without ever having heard any one to question their
correctness; and in those opinions they are quiet and satisfied, and
it requires a patient, gradual, and untiring effort to convince such
a people that they are wrong, and to work the desired change in their
belief, and consequently in their actions.
It is decidedly my opinion, however, that such a thing _can_ be done,
and I do not believe there is a race of wild people on earth where the
experiment could be more successfully made than amongst the kind and
hospitable Mandans, nor any place where the Missionary labours of pious
and industrious men would be more sure to succeed, or more certain to
be rewarded in the world to come.
I deem such a trial of patience and perseverance with these people of
great importance, and well worth the experiment. One which I shall hope
soon to see accomplished, and which, if properly conducted, I am sure
will result in success. Severed as they are from the contaminating and
counteracting vices which oppose and thwart most of the best efforts
of the Missionaries along the frontier, and free from the almost fatal
prejudices which they have there to contend with; they present a
better field for the labours of such benevolent teachers than they
have yet worked in, and a far better chance than they have yet had of
proving to the world that the poor Indian is not a brute—that he is
a human and humane being, that he is capable of improvement—and that
his mind is a beautiful blank on which anything can be written if the
proper means be taken.
The Mandans being but a small tribe, of two thousand only, and living
all in two villages, in sight of each other, and occupying these
permanently, without roaming about like other neighbouring tribes,
offer undoubtedly, the best opportunity for such an experiment of any
tribe in the country. The land about their villages is of the best
quality for ploughing and grazing, and the water just such as would
be desired. Their villages are fortified with piquets or stockades,
which protect them from the assaults of their enemies at home; and
the introduction of agriculture (which would supply them with the
necessaries and luxuries of life, without the necessity of continually
exposing their lives to their more numerous enemies on the plains, when
they are seeking in the chase the means of their subsistence) would
save them from the continual wastes of life, to which, in their wars
and the chase they are continually exposed, and which are calculated
soon to result in their extinction.
I deem it not folly nor idle to say that these people _can be saved_,
nor officious to suggest to some of the very many excellent and
pious men, who are almost throwing away the best energies of their
lives along the debased frontier, that if they would introduce the
ploughshare and their prayers amongst these people, who are so far
separated from the taints and contaminating vices of the frontier, they
would soon see their most ardent desires accomplished and be able to
solve to the world the perplexing enigma, by presenting a nation of
savages, civilized and christianized (and consequently _saved_), in the
heart of the American wilderness.
LETTER—No. 23.