DANCING PARTIES.
While we were on the way too Fort Pitt, a letter was received from the
Rev. John McDougall, of Calgary, stating that troops were coming through
from Edmonton, and that they would make short work of Big Bear's band
for the murders they had committed at Frog Lake. They were terribly
frightened at that news, and took turns and watched on the hills night
and day. Others spent their time in dancing--it was dancing all the
time--all day and all night.
I will explain their mode of dancing as well as I can:--They all get
in a circle, while two sit down outside and play the tom-tom, a most
unmelodious instrument, something like a tambourine, only not half
so _sweet_; it is made in this way:--they take a hoop or the lid of a
butter firkin, and cover one side with a very thin skin, while the other
has strings fastened across from side to side, and upon this they pound
with sticks with all their might, making a most unearthly racket. The
whole being a fit emblem of what is going on in the other world of
unclean spirits. Those forming the circle, kept going around shouting
and kicking, with all the actions and paraphernalia of a clown in a
pantomine, only not so dumb.
We passed a short distance from where Mrs. Delaney lived, and all we
could see standing, was the bell of the Catholic Mission, and when we
came to Onion Lake, they had burnt some of the buildings there, and
as we passed they set fire to the rest. They burnt all the flour and
potatoes, some three hundred sacks, and when we reached Fort Pitt our
provisions were getting scarce, and the half-breeds went to the Fort to
get some flour, but the Indians had previously poured coal and machine
oil on what was left, and they only got a few sacks and not very clean
at that. Still we felt very thankful to have it as it was.
While in this neighbourhood, Blondin and Henry Quinn went down to the
river to make their escape, and Blondin well knew that the Indians
had said if one prisoner ran away they would kill all the rest. The
half-breeds hearing what they had done, went after them and brought them
back, and that night Big Bear's braves came into our tent where Quinn
and Blondin were, and wanted to go to work and cut Quinn in pieces.
Blondin was like one of themselves. Pritchard sat on his knees in front
of Quinn and kept them from doing it. They were in our tent nearly the
whole night with their guns, large sharp knives and war clubs. After
Pritchard had talked some hours to them they went out only partly
pacified. Some of them said, "he has ran away once, let us kill him and
have no more trouble with him; if he runs away he will be going away and
telling the police to come."
When near the Fort they had their "Thirst Dance." An Indian went to the
bush and broke off a green bough, and carried it to the place arranged
for the dance, and all the other Indians shot at it. Then the Indians
got their squaws with them on horse-back; some thought it would not be
polite if they did not invite the white women to help them also, and
Mrs. Pritchard and another squaw came in and put Mrs. Delaney in one
corner and covered her over, and me in another with a feather bed over
me, so as not to find us. Then some said, "Oh, let the white women stay
where they are," and they took their squaws and went to the woods.
I should say about fifty rode to the woods for one stick at a time,
fastening a chain around it, dragged it along to this place singing and
yelling as they went. After they had enough sticks, they arranged a tent
in the centre of the circle. They stood a long pole up, and on this pole
they tied everything they wished to give to the _sun_, and this is never
taken down, and then they erected smaller poles about five feet high,
all around in a large circle, and from the top of these they fastened
sticks to the long pole in the centre, and covered it all with green
boughs, they then partitioned the tent into small stalls, and tied print
and anything bright all around inside on these poles; after they had
this arranged they began dancing. It continues three days and three
nights, neither eating or drinking during the entertainment. They danced
all that night and the squaws had each a small whistle made of bone
which they blow all the time in addition to the musical "tom-toms." Mrs.
Delaney and I lay awake all night, and I said to her, "I hope the police
will come in while they are having this dance." Mrs. Pritchard asked us
next morning if we would go and see them at it, and remarked "they will
not like it if you white women do not go and see them." We went with
her, and when we got inside they laughed and were delighted at seeing
us come. There they were, some of the squaws with my clothes on, and one
Indian with my husband's on, and my table linen hanging on the poles.
The squaws stood in those little stalls and danced. They had their faces
painted, and fingers and ears filled with brass rings and thimbles. Some
of the Indians were dressed in the police uniforms and had veils over
their faces; and just as we got nicely there, two Indians came riding
around and saying the police were all on this side of the river with
their tents pitched. There must be hundreds of them, some said, and the
others said no, because they have their wives and children with them;
and then came the scattering, they ran in all directions like scared
rabbits and tore their tents down, the Indians riding around on
horse-back singing and yelling, and saying "let us go and meet them"
that was to fight, and others said "_no_, let us move," and we all left
and moved through the woods.
But it proved to be more than a mere scare. _Our_ friends were drawing
near--too near to be comfortable for the _noble_ "red man," the
murderers of defenceless settlers, the despoilers of happy homes, the
polluters of poor women and children. They did all that, and yet they
are called the noble "red man." It might sound musical in the ears
of the poet to write of the virtues of that race, but I consider it a
perversion of the real facts. During the time I was with them I could
not see anything noble in them, unless it was that they were _noble_
murderers, _noble_ cowards, _noble_ thieves. The facts, I think, also
go to show that the Indians are not treated properly. There is no
distinction made between the good (there are good Indians) and bad. The
character of the Indian is not studied sufficiently, or only so far as
self-interest and selfish motives are concerned. But the majority of the
present race can be designated anything but the noble "red man."
They would in many instances, be better without the missionary. If
all denominations would only amalgamate their forces and agree upon
an unsectarian basis for missionary effort, the Indians would become
evangalized more quickly then they are at present. It would be better
for the Indians, and more honorable for the Christian Church. Give
the Indians the Gospel in its simplicity without the ritual of the
denominations.