THE LODGE DANCE.
The white man calls this dance the jump dance and this has caused
the Indians to call it thus when they speak of it in the white mans
tongue, but we call in our language Wah-neck-wel-la-gaw, and which has
no meaning as to a dance. This dance is held at the Pec-wan village,
and it is about one mile up the river from where the “White Deer-Skin
Dance” is held. This festival is held one year after the White Deer
Skin Dance, or is held alternately. This is the most sacred festival
that we have, and like the fish dam, we start preparations for the
festival some two months ahead and all differences and disputes are
settled before this starts. If there are any who can not or will not
settle, they must not come to see or take part in the festival, and by
this the reader can see that this once powerful and numerous tribe of
Indians, by making these complete settlements among all of their people
once a year, one year for the Fish Dam and the next year the Lodge
Dance. And could be managed by the High Priests and be well governed
without the aid of a chief, as they never had a chief. The Pec-wan
village was in olden times a very large and wealthy village. This is
where the lodge of the lower Klamaths is situated, and this lodge and
the house where all the tools of the Talth are kept, is the only one
now at this writing left of the whole tribe. In the times when the
white man first came there was one of these lodges at Big Lagoon, which
we call Ah-ca-tah, and one at the mouth of Redwood Creek which we call
Orick, one at the mouth of Klamath River which we call Reck-woy, and
one at Pec-wan. Four of these lodges belonging to the lower division
of the Klamath River, and the upper rivers had a number of lodges, but
there is not one of them left. There are no Indians left to tell of
them, or how and what they were used for, so making it at are time only
one that is left, and only two of the Talth are left to tell of the use
and meaning of the grand good that come from them to the proud people.
When all is ready the three Talth start very early in the morning and
select the timbers for putting up a complete new frame of the lodge,
not leaving a single piece of the wood-work of the old lodge, but
replacing it with new. Upon their return from selecting the timbers
the Talth then go into the house, where the tools are kept and take
them out. Those that are used for getting post and the frame with all
the sidings, they put these in a very nicely knit sack which is made
of good and lasting material and kept for this purpose, then they take
it on the outside of the house and leave it there for the night. Now
the Talth return to their homes and family, always bathing themselves,
for they are as near perfect in their cleanliness as it is given human
being to be. They go into their homes with smiles for their wives and
children, and all others that they may come in touch with. These Talth
are very firm in their manners, very witty in jokes, but slow to speak
in matters of decision. After supper they retire to their sweat-house
to sleep. There they first take a smoke and then go to sleep. Now the
ones that are the workers have already been selected for getting out
the material to put up the wood part of the lodge, and the whole of
the work must be done in one day. Every piece is made to fit in its
place, where it is gotten out in the woods, so that when it is brought
in, which is done the same day, all fits into its place. The whole
structure is set up without the use of tools; no noise and no words are
spoken, only by the three Talth, and by them only in a low voice.
Those that work to get out these timbers must all be of good birth,
not necessarily of the highest birth, but of good birth of the wealthy
and well-to-do class. Some of the ones of the highest births are not
considered to be of the right minds, with good behavior to be made a
Talth. No one of the low births or slaves are allowed to take part in
the making of the old lodge, Talth-ur-girk. We have degrees in this
lodge work, some are allowed to go in and learn a small part of it and
are never given any more, while other are allowed to learn a greater
part, and they are never given the true name of God.
[Illustration: THE LODGE PREPARATION HOUSE, AND SWEAT-HOUSE, AT
PEC-WAN, ON THE KLAMATH RIVER.
Photo by ERICSON]
This highest marriage takes twelve strings of cheek, twelve pieces
to each string, and out of the few marriages there was very few that
was good to be made a Talth, and by this they were compelled to choose
from the girls as well as the boys. The ones that were right for the
Talth, to keep from loosing the workings of the order, as well as to
keep the sacred name of God from being lost. If through famine or
epidemic it would be lost in some of the places or lodges, they could
get some that were Talth to come from Ah-ca-tah, Orick, Reck-woy or
from some of the lodges from the Pech-ic-las, so that they could fix up
the lodges and take some of the ones of the right birth and initiate
in to the secret workings of the order, and make them Talth, and build
the order up again. These things have happened many times in there long
history and occupation of this land. Now all the old lumber that is
taken from the lodge when it is to be made anew, is taken to the house
which the Talth use for there preparations, and to keep the working
tools in, and there it is used to renew the weak parts, and the rest is
used for fire wood in this house, so that none of it is wasted.
The dance, after everything is fixed and all in readiness, will last
for ten days, and when all is ready the Talth and all the workers,
which are called Wer-ner-ger-ee, go to their different homes or friends
and eat their supper, and after this is finished, all the workers with
two of the Talth go out and gather wood, which is the small limbs and
twigs of the huckleberry, which we make use of by keeping a small fire
through the night in the lodge, and on the fire we burn incense roots
which give off a pleasant odor. Now the other Talth, who is the master
of the ceremonies, goes straight from the house to the lodge, and with
him the one, or the two girls. These girl are not always a Talth, but
sometimes one of them is and has the whole secrets of the order, even
to the real name of God. These girls must be born of the highest birth
to even help. The master, when he goes in, talks or prays while the
girl or girls sweep it and place things in shape, which keeps them
busy, if there is only one girl, she does not have time to leave the
lodge. About nine o’clock the Talth with all the workers come out in
line, single file, with a bunch of wood, each one with his bundle on
his shoulder, all singing, and this in the night or evening sounds most
beautiful, as it is most perfect in time and tune and makes one feel
the love for the great Creator of all things.
When they arrive with the wood, all lay in around the top of the house
or lodge, then either one of the two Talth takes some inside of the
lodge and makes a small fire inside. The floor of the lodge is made of
marble, and they have a large bowl made of marble in which is placed
clean, pure water, and in this water is placed the roots walth-pay. Now
when the time is ready, all will come inside of the lodge and bath in
the marble bowl with the walth-pay in it. This bowl is kept secreted
and only the Talth knows where it is; the master of the lodge has taken
the bowl out from its hiding place and put it in its proper place,
and put the water and walth-pay roots in it. Now when the workers and
the two Talth comes with the wood and after the fire is started, the
two Talth remain and all the others go outside, and the three Talth
bath themselves, also the one or two girls, as the case maybe. If one
of them is not a Talth then she too has to go outside. Then the Talth
go through all the secret part of the work in the lodge, while the
girl that is a Talth remains inside of the lodge, and takes part in
the secret workings. The lodge is now opened, and all the workers are
invited to come inside. Some of the workers are Talth, sometimes nearly
all of them, if not, they are high born. They all wash themselves in
the marble bowl and all have the Indian comb, the men’s being longer
than the ones the girls have. After washing, each one washes and combs
their hair until it is clean and glossy, leaving the hair hang down
loosely, using the combs to stroke the hair back, and careful not to
touch it with their hands.
The men are perfectly naked, while the girls have a maple bark dress
fastened around the waist, hanging down to the knees, otherwise they
were nude. Now the master takes his place in the south-east corner of
the lodge, sitting on his Indian chair and in his hand he holds his
staff, or rod, which is the stalk of the walth-pay. This staff is the
stalk which grows from the herb or root that God made women from in
the first creation, and the staff is so old that it is black with age.
The next one in authority sits in the north-east corner of the lodge,
while the third one sits in the north-west corner of the lodge. The
lodge sits north and south, the entrance is at the south end, the west
side being left dark. The Master in managing the ceremonies, has a
helper (this was my part and the emblem I wear is the Dove) who sits
on the right hand side of the Master, and if there is no girl that is
a Talth, then a man that is a Talth has to fill the place, and this
one has to place and move the chair of the Master as he rises and
sits down, and if there is only one girl, then she has to preform a
double duty of removing and placing the chairs of all three officers
of the lodge, and when this happens is keep her on the move all night
until five o’clock in the morning; when she comes out very tired, yet
light hearted and very proud of her birth, her standing and the great
knowledge she has of the secret history of her people. Very few there
be that has ever been admitted to her high plane, and none has ever
excelled her. She knows that she and all the other Talth are full
blooded Klamath, and no mixture of any other blood in their veins. This
secret organization dates back to the very beginning of God’s creation
of man and woman, as this staff of the walth-pay is what God made woman
out of. This walth-pay they have preserved in this land in selected
places and it still grows here, and we still use it in all of our
secret work. It only grows in a few places, and all of us know where to
find it. They brought this with them, from the old land, and on down
through the ages to commemorate the first creation of woman.
I have offered to go to the lodge and teach one or more when there was
enough of the Talth left to do so, but now there are none left, and
they could not pick out a girl that was eligible to give it to, until
now there is no chance left, and what ever is done towards the meeting
of this old and ancient order is only a farce, and done by the low
births, the low class and the slave class. When I first told my father
that I was going to marry a white man, my people objected, saying that
if I had children they could not be admitted to the order. It was then
I told them to select one that I might teach the secret part of the
lodge to. It is sad for me to write of the inside working of the lodge,
and who can blame me. My people are passing away, being absorbed by the
white race.
Now all are inside of the lodge and they give the whole night to
chanting and praying to God, to please the Creator, to give them
health, wealth and to watch over them, keeping them safe from disease.
They keep this up until about five o’clock in the morning and then they
all go down to the house where the dance is to be held, and this house
is called Ah-pure-way. They build a small fire and place some roots on
it. Now during this time the wealthy families have moved from their
homes, bring their wives sisters and daughters to cook and prepare food.
The first dance is hurriedly gotten ready and then the dancers come up
to the house, going in and taking their places. The dance starts and
will last for ten days. As soon as the first dance is over the Talth
go to their homes to eat and rest, and the tired but proud little girl
goes to her home and eats, after which she takes a much needed sleep.
All have bathed, which they never fail to do, and dressed their hair
and combed it cleanly. There are five villages that take part in the
Po-lick-las dance, being the same ones that took part in the White Deer
Skin Dance. All Indians are invited to come, rich or poor, from any
and all tribes, from far off and near by. Far away tribes are looked
after, fed and asked to take part in the dance, even if they cannot
speak their language. They will motion to them and show them how and
give them full protection at all times and under any circumstances, so
that they may enjoy it to the fullest. This is the time that the very
poor and slave class of our own people are made jolly and contented,
proud to be known and called a Klamath Indian. They are here allowed,
both men and women, to put in whatever they may possess that is of
value, that is used to dance with. The wealthy ones that own lands,
hunting territory, fishing places, slaves, flints, white deer-skins,
fisher skins, otter skins, silver gray fox skins and fine dresses made
of dressed deer skins, with fringes or shells knotted and worked in the
most beautiful styles, that clink and jingle as they walk and makes one
have a feeling of respect and admiration for them. The eyes will strain
to look on this most pleasant sight, which can never leave one’s memory
that has seen it in its flowery days.
They take the scalp of the woodpecker, which they sew together from
sixty to one hundred in number, on a piece of nicely dressed buck skin,
the edges also being buck skin, it looks like a plug hat. They let the
ends hang as streamers at the back of the head. These are valued at
from one to two hundred dollars, having red and white fringes, which
makes them look very pretty. These head dresses are called Rah-gay and
the scalps are called cheese, whether one or many of them. They have
great strings of the long hollow shells, called cheek and turk-tum,
around their necks, hanging down over the breasts to the waist. This,
the most sacred of all their festivals, is held in a house and more of
their wealth is displayed at this time than on any other occasion. The
wealth of the whole tribe of the Klamath Indians, even the Hoopas and
Smith River, and any other tribe can put in and help in this dance.
Here in this dance the rich ones will turn over to the poorest of them
their display of wealth and go away, leaving it in their care, our
people do not use feathers but very little, less than the white people.
In the evening of the second days dancing, the Talth go back to the
lodge and the Master with the girl who is a Talth, go into the lodge,
and the Master puts fresh clean water into the bowl, pounds and places
the walth-pay roots into it and it is ready for use. The other girls
remaining in the preparation house or goes to other parts to preform
when they have things fixed for them. The Master gives prayers to God
while the other two Talth in authority will take the same ones, the
workers, and go out for more wood, the same as the first time, coming
in about nine o’clock, all in single file, led by the two Talth singing
the song as they come and place the wood the same as before. Now the
two Talth go inside and the lodge is opened, the Talth girl helping
until all is in readiness, then the workers are called in and the Talth
each take their place, the Master with his staff of the walth-pay, and
the girl in her place by the Master and the workings of the lodge are
gone through with as before, and kept up all night until five o’clock
in the morning, when they come out and go to their homes and camps to
eat. Now the dancers take up the dancing and the whole thing moves
along smoothly, without a thing to mar the good times. The Talth do not
take any part in the dancing, and are but seldom seen to take a look at
it, and the Master does not come to see any part of it, but if he does,
he just passes on, laughing joking and jesting with all the men and
women and they are more than glad to see him.
The Talth call each other brothers, and the girls sisters, and the word
brother and sister is used a great deal among these people.
When the lodge is working in its secret part of the order, there is a
guard stationed at the door on the outside to keep others from hearing
or entering. In the evening of every second day they open the lodge
until the dance has run for eight days, when they open the lodge in the
same way, in the evening for the fifth and last time. The Master and
the girl go into the lodge, while the two Talth and the workers go and
get the wood, coming back at nine o’clock, then the same performance
is gone through with, ending about five o’clock in the morning, then
all the worker are expelled from the lodge and go to the dance house
and make the fire, burn the incense roots, sweep and clean the house
for the last two days of the festival. The three Talth and the girl
remain in the lodge and finish the winding up ceremonies of the lodge
for the dance, after which the bowl, staff and other emblems and tools
are placed in their secret hiding places so that them who are Talth
know where to find them, then they come out and go to their homes to
eat, sleep and rest. Now the last two days of the dance commences,
and the finest of dresses and the most valuable of articles are used,
all the riches are brought out, showing which are the most wealthy of
family, some of which have long records dating back for generations,
telling how the family first started in prominence, and up to the
present time. This festival is held for the purpose and equality of
the whole people together, the rich, the poor and the slave, make
themselves come together in peace and harmony as one family and to make
the poor and the slave feel that there is some good to live for, and
more and above all to make them warriors, that none dare scorn. That
if any other tribe dare to violate the laws of humanity, such as to
mutilate the dead by scalping and other ways, which the Klamaths would
not tolerate for a moment, and by the Talth to keep and preserve their
old and ancient teachings of the sacred order which has been handed
down to them through the ages, which they say has never been, through
it all, down to where it is now. They say that a number of times it
has been low, yet there was enough to revive and bring it back to its
proper place, so as not to loose it in its secret parts and keep it up.
At the end of ten days the dance, late in the evening closes and the
people scatter in all directions, while the rich families, that have so
many women to help in preparing the food, and some with children, and
so much wealth to move, will keep their camp open until the next day,
and some for two days longer, until they can get everything ready for
moving home.
[Illustration: THE LODGE DANCE.]