Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1895 — WHY THEY PAINT THEIR FACES. [ARTICLE]

WHY THEY PAINT THEIR FACES.

Apaehe Legend Which Accounts for the Red Men’s Ceremonial Custom. “ ‘Why do Indians paint their faces?’ I have asked that question of hundreds of Red Men, and have received but one answer. Of all the tribes that I have visited but one has a legend accounting for the hideous decorations that are to be seen on the faces of Indians under all ceremonial circumstances. “I was sitting at a camp fire in a village of Jacarilla Apaches one night listening to the stories and legends that were being told, when I propounded the old question again, hardly expecting even the usual expression of ignorance that ljides so many of the thoughts of the Indians. To my surprise, however, I received the answer that I least expected,” says a writer in the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat. “An old fellow who had sat all the evening listening to The stories without changing his attitude grunted and straightened up as he heard the question. Proceeding with all due solemnity, he told the following legend: “ ‘Long ago, when men were weak and animals were big and strong, a chief of the Red Men who lived in these mountains went out to get a deer, for his people were hungry. After walking all day he saw a deer and shot at it, but the arrow was turned aside and wounded a mountain lion which was also after the deer. When the lion felt the sting of the arrow he jumped up and bounded after the man, who ran for his life. He was almost exhausted, when he felt his strength give way, he fell to the ground, calling on the big bear, who, you know, is the grandfather of men, to save him. The big bear heard the call and saw that to save the man he had to act quickly, so he scratched his foot and sprinkled his blood over the man. ‘“Now, you know, no animal will eat of the bear or taste of his blood. So when the lion reached the man he smelled the blood and turned away, but as he did so his foot scraped the face of the man, leaving the marks of his claws on the bloody face. When the man found that he was uninjured he was so thankful that he left the blood to dry on his face and never washed it at all, but left it until it peeled off. Where the claws of the lion scraped it off there were marks that turned brown in the sun, and where the blood stayed on it was lighter. You know, all men paint their faces that way with blood and scrape it off in streaks when they hunt or go to war.’”