Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1883 — SIOUX SUN DANCE. [ARTICLE]

SIOUX SUN DANCE.

Disgusting Scenes Witnessed at the Rosebud Indian Agency. Shocking Torturing Endured by the Stoical Savages. [Rosebud Agency (Dakota) Telegram to Chicago Times.! The annual sun dance of the Sioux Indians occurred this afternoon at the camp near this agency, about 1,000 Indians being present from all parts of the reservation and a number of white visitora The sun dance is a very ancient custom among the Indians, but which has been growing less severe lately. It an Indian's child or relative be sick during the year, or if h« desires success in some undertaking he may vow that if the child recovers or the scheme succeeds he will dance or give some of his fle3h to the Great Spirit at the next sun dance. The ceremony of catting the pole lor the center of the dancing circle was performed Batur- f day afternoon, Herpipe, a niece of Standing* Bear, wielding the ax, and the charge on the prostrate tree was made by over 1,000 young bucks on ponies On Saturday the brush inclosure was built, and that eveningfifteen Indians entered and commenced their long dance, having been fastiDg four days. This afternoon the voiuntaiy torture commenced, three men offering themselves. The medicine-man performed the operation. He made two vertical incisions on each breast with a sharp knife, and parsing a stick under the lifted flesh fastened the end to a rope depending from the pole. The dancers then worked until they freed themselves by violently breaking the flesh. Follow-a-Woman broke loose in five minutes, Lives-in-the-Air after ten minutes’ exertion, but Poor-Drg remained tied up for half an hour before he could tear out the thongs from both breasts. They then all rejoined the dance. Several » bucks had small pieces of flesh cnt from their arms, the amount often being lessened by their squaws offering their arms for part of the loss. The whole was a dreadful exhibition of physical endurance and savage barbarity. At 5 o'clock the dance coased, the participants ha\ing jumped up and down, blowing their whistles, for fifty hours, without food or water part of the ] time, In the burning heat of the sun. Home were so completely exhausted as to dance on with their eyes closed, their bodies in spasm. 1 his is probably the last time these i cruelties will be permitted, as a strong el ort is being made by the Government to stop the sun dance. Orders came to Agents McGiliicuddy and Wright this year to prevent its occnn enoe, but it was imt ossible A snow-white squirrel was killed at Brazos Bend, Texas.