Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1892 — A BLACKFOOT CEMETERY. [ARTICLE]

A BLACKFOOT CEMETERY.

Tepees of the Dead and Tents of Indian Mourners. Presently, as we journeyed, a little line of sand hills came into view. They formed the Blackfoot cemetery. We i saw the “topees of the dead” here und ; there on the knolls, somo new and perfect, some old and weather-stained, some showing mere tatters of cotton Happing on the poles, and still others only skeleton tents, the poles remaining and tho | cotton covering gone completely. We | knew what we would see if we looked in- | to those “dead tepees” (being careful to approach from tho windward side). We would see, lying on the ground or raised upon a framework, a bundle that would be narrow at top and bottom and broad in the middle—an Indian's body rolled up in a sheet of cotton, with his best boadwork and blanket und gun in the bundle, and near by a kettle and some dried meat and corn-meal against his feeling hungry on his longjourney to the hereafter. As one or two of the tepees were new, we expected to soe some family in mourning, and, sure enough, when we reached the great sheer-sided gutter which the Bow River lias dug for its course through the plains, wo halted our horse and looked down upon a lonely trio of tepees, with children playing around them and women squatted by the entrances. Three families had lost members, and were sequestered there in abject surrender to grief. Those tents of the mourners were at our feet as we rode southward, down in the river gully, where the grass was green and the trees were leafy and thriving; but when we turned ourfueesto the eastward, where the river bunt around a great promontory, what a sight met our gaze! There stoood a city ot topees, hundreds of them, showing white and yellow and brown and red against the clear blue sky. A silent and lifeless city it seemed, for we were too far off to see the peoplo or to hoar their noises. The groat huddle of little pyramids roso abruptly from the level bare grass against the flawless sky, not like one of thoso melancholy new troeloss towns that white men are building all over the prairie, but rather like n mosquito fleet becalmed at sea. There are two camps on tho Blackfoot Reserve, the North Camp and tho South Camp, and this town of tents was between the two, and was composed of moro households than both together; for this was the assembling for the sun dunce, their greatest religious festivul, and hither had come Bloods, l’iegans and Sart is us well as Blnckfeot. Only tike mourners kept away; for here were to bo echoed the greatest ooremoniuls of that dead past wherein lives dedicated to war and to the chase inspired the deeds of valor which each would now celebrate anew in spoeeh or song. And at each recurrence of this wonderful holi-day-time every night was spent in feasting, gorging and gambling. In short, it was the great event of the Indian year, and so it remains. Even now you may see the young braves undergo the torture; and if you may not see wives disciplined, you inay at least perceive a score who lmvc been, as well as bear the mighty boasting, and witness the dancing and curousiug.—-[Harper's Magazine.