the soul of the indian-第10部分

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to　their　grief；　they　are　no　longer　concerned　about　any　earthly

possession；　and　often　give　away　all　that　they　have　to　the

first　comers；　even　to　their　beds　and　their　home。　　Finally；　the

wailing　for　the　dead　is　continued　night　and　day　to　the　point　of

utter　voicelessness；　a　musical；　weird；　and　heart…piercing　sound；

which　has　been　compared　to　the；　〃keening〃　of　the　Celtic　mourner。



The　old…time　burial　of　the　Plains　Indians　was　upon　a　scaffold

of　poles；　or　a　platform　among　the　boughs　of　a　treetheir　only

means　of　placing　the　body　out　of　reach　of　wild　beasts；　as　they　had

no　implements　with　which　to　dig　a　suitable　grave。　　It　was　prepared

by　dressing　in　the　finest　clothes；　together　with　some　personal

possessions　and　ornaments；　wrapped　in　several　robes；　and

finally　in　a　secure　covering　of　raw…hide。　　As　a　special　mark　of

respect；　the　body　of　a　young　woman　or　a　warrior　was　sometimes　laid

out　in　state　in　a　new　teepee；　with　the　usual　household　articles　and

even　with　a　dish　of　food　left　beside　it；　not　that　they　supposed　the

spirit　could　use　the　implements　or　eat　the　food　but　merely　as　a

last　tribute。　　Then　the　whole　people　would　break　camp　and　depart　to

a　distance；　leaving　the　dead　alone　in　an　honorable　solitude。



There　was　no　prescribed　ceremony　of　burial；　though　the　body

was　carried　out　with　more　or　less　solemnity　by　selected　young　men；

and　sometimes　noted　warriors　were　the　pall…bearers　of　a　man

of　distinction。　　It　was　usual　to　choose　a　prominent　hill　with　a

commanding　outlook　for　the　last　resting…place　of　our　dead。　　If　a

man　were　slain　in　battle；　it　was　an　old　custom　to　place　his　body

against　a　tree　or　rock　in　a　sitting　position；　always　facing　the

enemy；　to　indicate　his　undaunted　defiance　and　bravery；　even　in

death。



I　recall　a　touching　custom　among　us；　which　was　designed　to

keep　the　memory　of　the　departed　near　and　warm　in　the　bereaved

household。　　A　lock　of　hair　of　the　beloved　dead　was　wrapped　in

pretty　clothing；　such　as　it　was　supposed　that　he　or　she

would　like　to　wear　if　living。　　This　〃spirit　bundle；〃　as　it　was

called；　was　suspended　from　a　tripod；　and　occupied　a　certain　place

in　the　lodge　which　was　the　place　of　honor。　　At　every　meal　time；　a

dish　of　food　was　placed　under　it；　and　some　person　of　the　same　sex

and　age　as　the　one　who　was　gone　must　afterward　be　invited　in　to

partake　of　the　food。　　At　the　end　of　a　year　from　the　time　of　death；

the　relatives　made　a　public　feast　and　gave　away　the　clothing　and

other　gifts；　while　the　lock　of　hair　was　interred　with　appropriate

ceremonies。



Certainly　the　Indian　never　doubted　the　immortal　nature　of　the

spirit　or　soul　of　man；　but　neither　did　he　care　to　speculate

upon　its　probable　state　or　condition　in　a　future　life。　　The　idea　of

a　〃happy　hunting…ground〃　is　modern　and　probably　borrowed；　or

invented　by　the　white　man。　　The　primitive　Indian　was　content　to

believe　that　the　spirit　which　the　〃Great　Mystery〃　breathed　into　man

returns　to　Him　who　gave　it；　and　that　after　it　is　freed　from　the

body；　it　is　everywhere　and　pervades　all　nature；　yet　often　lingers

near　the　grave　or　〃spirit　bundle〃　for　the　consolation　of　friends；

and　is　able　to　hear　prayers。　　So　much　of　reverence　was　due　the

disembodied　spirit；　that　it　was　not　customary　with　us　even　to　name

the　dead　aloud。



It　is　well　known　that　the　American　Indian　had　somehow　developed

occult　power；　and　although　in　the　latter　days　there　have　been　many

impostors；　and；　allowing　for　the　vanity　and　weakness　of　human

nature；　it　is　fair　to　assume　that　there　must　have　been　some　even　in

the　old　days；　yet　there　are　well…attested　instances　of　remarkable

prophecies　and　other　mystic　practice。



A　Sioux　prophet　predicted　the　coming　of　the　white　man　fully

fifty　years　before　the　event；　and　even　described　accurately　his

garments　and　weapons。　　Before　the　steamboat　was　invented；　another

prophet　of　our　race　described　the　〃Fire　Boat〃　that　would

swim　upon　their　mighty　river；　the　Mississippi；　and　the　date　of　this

prophecy　is　attested　by　the　term　used；　which　is　long　since

obsolete。　　No　doubt；　many　predictions　have　been　colored　to　suit　the

new　age；　and　unquestionably　false　prophets；　fakirs；　and　conjurers

have　become　the　pest　of　the　tribes　during　the　transition　period。　

Nevertheless；　even　during　this　period　there　was　here　and　there　a

man　of　the　old　type　who　was　implicitly　believed　in　to　the　last。



Notable　among　these　was　Ta…chank…pee　Ho…tank…a；　or　His　War

Club　Speaks　Loud；　who　foretold　a　year　in　advance　the　details　of　a

great　war…party　against　the　Ojibways。　　There　were　to　be

seven　battles；　all　successful　except　the　last；　in　which　the　Sioux

were　to　be　taken　at　a　disadvantage　and　suffer　crushing　defeat。　

This　was　carried　out　to　the　letter。　　Our　people　surprised　and

slew　many　of　the　Ojibways　in　their　villages；　but　in　turn　were

followed　and　cunningly　led　into　an　ambush　whence　but　few　came　out

alive。　　This　was　only　one　of　his　remarkable　prophecies。



Another　famous　〃medicine…man〃　was　born　on　the　Rum　River　about

one　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　and　lived　to　be　over　a　century

old。　　He　was　born　during　a　desperate　battle　with　the　Ojibways；　at

a　moment　when；　as　it　seemed；　the　band　of　Sioux　engaged　were

to　be　annihilated。　　Therefore　the　child's　grandmother　exclaimed：

〃Since　we　are　all　to　perish；　let　him　die　a　warrior's　death　in　the

field！〃　and　she　placed　his　cradle　under　fire；　near　the　spot　where

his　uncle　and　grandfathers　were　fighting；　for　he　had　no　father。　

But　when　an　old　man　discovered　the　new…born　child；　he　commanded　the

women　to　take　care　of　him；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃we　know　not　how

precious　the　strength　of　even　one　warrior　may　some　day　become　to

his　nation！〃



This　child　lived　to　become　great　among　us；　as　was　intimated　to

the　superstitious　by　the　circumstances　of　his　birth。　　At

the　age　of　about　seventy…five　years；　he　saved　his　band　from　utter

destruction　at　the　hands　of　their　ancestral　enemies；　by　suddenly

giving　warning　received　in　a　dream　of　the　approach　of　a　large

war…party。　　The　men　immediately　sent　out　scouts；　and　felled　trees

for　a　stockade；　barely　in　time　to　meet　and　repel　the　predicted

attack。　　Five　years　later；　he　repeated　the　service；　and　again　saved

his　people　from　awful　slaughter。　　There　was　no　confusion　of　figures

or　omens；　as　with　lesser　medicine…men；　but　in　every　incident　that

is　told　of　him　his　interpretation　of　the　sign；　whatever　it

was；　proved　singularly　correct。



The　father　of　Little　Crow；　the　chief　who　led　the　〃Minnesota

massacre〃　of　1862；　was　another　prophet　of　some　note。　　One　of　his

characteristic　prophecies　was　made　only　a　few　years　before　he　died；

when　he　had　declared　that；　although　already　an　old　man；　he　would　go

once　more　upon　the　war…path。　　At　the　final　war…feast；　he　declared

that　three　of　the　enemy　would　be　slain；　but　he　showed　great

distress　and　reluctance　in　foretelling　that　he　would　lose　two　of

his　own　men。　　Three　of　the　Ojibways　were　indeed　slain　as　he　had

said；　but　in　the　battle　the　old　war　prophet　lost　both　of

his　two　sons。



There　are　many　trustworthy　men；　and　men　of　Christian　faith；　to

vouch　for　these　and　similar　events　occurring　as　foretold。　　I　cannot

pretend　to　explain　them；　but　I　know　that　our　people　possessed

remarkable　powers　of　concentration　and　abstraction；　and　I　sometimes

fancy　that　such　nearness　to　nature　as　I　have　described　keeps　the

spirit　sensitive　to　impressions　not　commonly　felt；　and　in　touch

with　the　unseen　powers。　　Some　of　us　seemed　to　have　a　peculiar

intuition　for　the　locality　of　a　grave；　which　they　explained　by

saying　that　they　had　received　a　communication　from　the

spirit　of　the　departed。　　My　own　grandmother　was　one　of　these；　and

as　far　back　as　I　can　remember；　when　camping　in　a　strange　country；

my　brother　and　I　would　search　for　and　find　human　bones　at　the　spot

she　had　indicated　to　us　as　an　ancient　burial…place　or　the　spot

where　a　lone　warrior　had　fallen。　　Of　course；　the　outward　signs

of　burial　had　been　long　since　obliterated。



The　Scotch　would　certainly　have　declared　that　she　had　the

〃second　sight；〃　for　she　had　other　remarkable　premonitions　or

intuitions　within　my　own　recollection。　　I　have　heard　her　speak　of

a　peculiar　sensation　in　the　breast；　by　which；　as　she　said；

she　was　advised　of　anything　of　importance　concerning　her　absent

children。　　Other　native　women　have　claimed　a　similar　monitor；　but

I　never　heard　of　one　who　could　interpret　it　with　such　accuracy。　　We

were　once　camping　on　Lake　Manitoba　when　we　received　news　that　my

uncle　and　his　family　had　been　murdered　several　weeks　before；　at

a　fort　some　two　hundred　miles　distant。　　While　all　our　clan　were

wailing　and　mourning　their　loss；　my　grandmother　calmly　bade　them

cease；　saying　that　her　son　was　approaching；　and　that　they　would　see

him　shortly。　　Although　we　had　no　other　reason　to　doubt　the

ill　tidings；　it　is　a　fact　that　my　uncle　came　into　camp　two　days

after　his　reported　death。



At　another　time；　when　I　was　fourteen　years　old；　we　had　just

left　Fort　Ellis　on　the　Assiniboine　River；　and　my　youngest　uncle　had

selected　a　fine　spot　for　our　night　camp。　　It　was　already　after

sundown；　but　my　grandmother　became　unaccountably　nervous；　and

positively　refused　to　pitch　her　tent。　　So　we　reluctantly　went　on

down　the　river；　and　camped　after　dark　at　a　secluded　place。　　The

next　day　we　learned　that　a　family　who　were　following　close　behind

had　stopped　at　the　place　first　selected　by　my　uncle；　but

were　surprised　in　the　night　by　a　roving　war…party；　and　massacred　to

a　man。　　This　incident　made　a　great　impression　upon　our　people。



Many　of　the　Indians　believed　that　one　may　be　born　more　than

once；　and　there　were　some　who　claimed　to　have　full　knowledge　of　a

former　incarnation。　　There　were　also　those　who　held　converse　with

a　〃twin　spirit；〃　who　had　been　born　into　another　tribe　or　race。　

There　was　a　well…known　Sioux　war…prophet　who　lived　in　the　middle　of

the　last　century；　so　that　he　is　still　remembered　by　the　old　men　of

his　band。　　After　he　had　rea