POLICE REGULATIONS--A MORAL PEOPLE--MARRIAGE CUSTOMS--INVITATION TO A
FEAST--SKUNK MEAT AT MID-NIGHT--INDIANS CHEATED BY WHITE TRADERS.
The lodges, during our stay on the Upper Forks of the Running Water
River, were made comfortably warm by banking up dry sod three feet high
around them. Inside of the lodges, the floor, to within about three
feet of the fire, all around, was covered with half-dressed robes, at
times four deep, which made it good to sleep upon.
We had the best of order in our village. Four Indians were appointed
every day to act as police. These had their faces blackened when on
duty. Fresh ones were appointed daily to guard and see that everything
was orderly in the village.
I had been informed while in the States that all Indians were very
licentious and degraded in their character and habits. It may possibly
be the case with some tribes, but from the first day I traveled with
the Poncas up to the last, which was six months, I never saw anything
that would cause a lady to blush, either in the actions of a male or
female. If there had been anything of the kind I would have seen it,
for I was at all their feasts of dancing and eating, and attended three
of their weddings.
If a young Indian wants to marry, and finds a squaw who is inclined to
receive his addresses, he goes to the father of the young woman and
learns from him the worth of the lady. He also finds out whether he
would be acceptable to him as a son-in-law. If the match is agreeable
to the parent, he will perhaps ask three horses as the price of her,
sometimes more, sometimes less. The price depends somewhat on the
smartness of the girl. If she can braid well, and dress robes and skins
first rate, and is well qualified for the labors required of her, she
is worth more horses than one who is not so smart.
When the price is settled and the amount paid, the next thing for the
young Indian to do is to prepare a home for his bride. He either hires
part of a lodge, purchases one or furnishes the skins for his intended
bride to make one. When this is done he goes out and hunts game,
brings what he kills to the lodge of her father, and hands it over to
the young woman, who cooks some and gives it to him to eat. She also
makes him a present either of a robe, pair of leggings or a pair of
moccasins. Thus he proves on his part that he is willing to hunt and
provide for her; and she, on the other hand, shows her willingness to
cook and make what clothing he wishes. This is all that is needed to
become husband and wife.
It often happens that a young Indian, when wanting to marry, is poor,
and does not own any horses. In such a case he promises to help his
father-in-law to hunt until he gets a horse, or horses.
Sometimes there are a number of young Indians wanting to marry, but
cannot do so for want of horses to pay for the young ladies. When
such is the case, they occasionally lay their plans (unknown to their
chiefs) for a raid on the horses of other tribes or nations, to steal
what they need for the purchase of their wives.
This occurred once while I was with them. Eight young Indians were gone
twenty-three days, and returned without any, finding the horses were
too well guarded.
At times, when the Indians have had horses stolen by marauding parties
from other nations, the chiefs call a council of the braves, and choose
a number to go to the aggressors as a war party, and get back their
horses that have been stolen, or steal some better ones from them. This
party are all fighting men, and often have to fight before they return,
whether they get any horses or not.
The war parties of the different tribes are continually active; and
each tribe has to be on the watch, to prevent its horses being stolen
while in herds near its villages.
All foreign war parties are looked upon as enemies, and whenever the
Indians see them they shoot them and bring their scalps to camp, for
the young folks to dance around at their evening entertainments.
Sending out these war parties was often the cause of the different
nations going to war, and it is the same to this day.
When traveling, we would often see a foot track in the sand, or an
arrow or moccasin by the way. As soon as an Indian saw any of these
he knew by what tribe they had been left. When I asked them how they
knew this, they informed me that each nation made shoes, or moccasins,
differing somewhat in shape from those of other nations. They also had
different colored arrows, so that those of each nation could be easily
identified by any one acquainted with the various peculiarities. The
various Indian nations are distinguished by the colors of their arrows
in the same way that civilized nations are by the colors of their flags.
When a chief prepares a feast for some of his friends, an Indian is
sent around to inform the party invited. This is sometimes done before
the food is prepared, so that they may have a smoke and a talk first.
The Indian who goes to invite the guests does not go into their lodges
to do so, but calls out their names, and tells what they will have to
eat, as he passes their lodges. These are the words they would use
if they were inviting me: "_Ah-how Whadee-shipper, moningahow munga
war-rattah Wayger-sippeys teah!_" which means: "Oh S----! Walk off! Skunk
food at the chief's lodge!"
They think skunk meat very fine food. I have been called up at midnight
to go to a skunk feast. When dressed and cooked properly the meat is
good; if not cooked properly it is very strong, so much so that one can
taste it the next day after eating it.
I ate quite a variety of food while with them, consisting of fish of
various kinds, buffalo, elk, deer, antelope, beaver, otter, dog, wolf,
skunk, turkey, duck, crow and pigeon.
It was near Christmas, and I had been two months alone with this
nation. During this time I had suffered much pain of body, but in
spirit I had felt well, and never felt the least discouraged, or even
sorry I had left the camp of the Saints. I had learned considerable
of their language, and had become acquainted with their customs and
manners of life, all of which I knew would be useful to me, and to the
camps of Israel, when traveling through the Indian nations, if I lived.
I had looked upon these Indians of the desert as the enemies of the
white men, and believed they would rob and kill them whenever found.
How different my feelings are towards them to-day! No nation or people
could have treated me with more kindness. I lived in the best house,
or lodge, in the village. I had the best seat (a good pillow) at their
councils. I had the best food the nation afforded to eat, and was
treated by the chiefs, soldiers, braves and people, both old and young,
as though I was their king. I always found they wished to be friendly
with the white men if they would treat them aright; but the Indians
had been deceived by them in trade and treaty, and for this they had
rebelled at times.
The old chiefs always taught their young men to be good, and be
at peace if others wished peace, and only fight when others were
determined to fight with them.
They informed me, I am sorry to say, that white men had often been sent
to trade with them for their robes and skins, and had cheated them by
giving less and poorer goods for their things than they had promised;
thus getting their robes for little or nothing, and telling them that
they would send them horses, and then never doing it.