Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 16
[13] Denig employs the word partisan in the sense of “a leader of a war
party.”
The ordinary occupations of these several divisions of the camp will
now be taken up in order.
1. The leading Chief, Hoon-gah, being the head, is expected to devote
his time to studying the welfare of his people. It is for him to
determine where the camp shall be placed and when it should move; if
war parties are advisable, and with whom, how many, and at what time;
where soldiers’ camps and the soldiers’ lodge should be established;
when traders are wanted in camp, or when they shall go to the fort
to trade; to call councils on these and all other affairs of general
interest.
2. The other Chiefs, Hoo-gap-pe. These are sometimes counselled
privately in their lodges by their leader and their advice followed if
correct and according to his views. They sit in council when called,
and rank equally with the leader as men, warriors, counsellors,
etc., except they do not publicly attempt to lead or act without his
knowledge and consent.
3. Chief of the soldiers, Ah-kitche-tah Hoon-gah. This is the head man
in the soldiers’ lodge; sees to their property therein, whether there
is wood, water, tobacco, and meat enough; opens councils; sometimes
sends invitations for the others to assemble when the Chief requests,
and on small occasions of his own accord; makes feasts; lights the pipe
in large assemblies, and is the nominal head of this active body; is a
highly respected and useful officer in camp. He has much influence with
the young warriors and is selected from among the bravest of them.
4. Cook of the soldiers’ lodge. First, Wo-ha-nah; second, Wah-yu-tena.
This functionary is also a soldier and a highly respectable officer,
ranking next to the Chief of the soldiers.
Eating being one of the Indian’s most important occupations, the care
of the meat, choice of the parts, and separation of the whole depending
upon him, the station becomes at once of consequence and requires a
determined man. On feasting, which in that lodge is going on every
night, if not every day, he dishes out the meat into wooden bowls
and gives to each the parts he chooses. Of a dog, the head, paws,
and grease—bouillon—are the most honorable parts. There is great
etiquette shown in this respect, and it is too long a story to record
when there is so much yet to be written.
5. The soldiers, Ah-kitche-tah. These are the bravest and most orderly
men of from 25 to 35 years of age. They have been and are still
warriors and leaders of parties to war, are chosen expressly to carry
out the decrees of the council, even at the risk of their lives, to
punish people for raising the buffalo, setting the prairie on fire,
govern the camp, protect whites and strangers of other nations in
camp, entertain and feast the same, arrange preliminaries of peace,
trade, and generally to aid their chief in carrying out his views and
decisions of council.
6. Elderly men, We-chap-pe. These may be called the body of the camp,
being men of family, about 40 years old, have been warriors and
soldiers when younger, but have abandoned these occupations, devote
their time to hunting, are still good hunters, try to amass horses and
other property by making robes, endeavor to get their daughters married
well, send their sons to hunt or to war.
They are respectable, quiet, peaceable men, among their own people,
content to follow their leader and obey the council, rank as
councillors when they wish, are always invited though but few attend
except on interesting occasions.
7. The Public Crier. First name, Ponkewichakeah; second, Hoon-kee-yah.
This is some elderly or middle-aged man who has a strong voice and a
talent for haranguing. He answers the purpose of the daily newspaper
of the whites. A little before daybreak he walks around and through
the camp different times every morning, calling upon the young men to
get up and look after their horses and arms, to go on the hills and
look for buffaloes, watch if there be any signs of enemies about—to
the women to get up to bring wood and water, cook, dress hides, etc.
If any news has been received in camp the day before or any councils
held, he now states the results. Whenever the camp is to be moved or
hunts made, or enemies seen, or councils to be held, this man publishes
it in this way. He is in fact their publisher and a useful man, doing
more to preserve order and induce unanimity of action than any other,
is entitled to eat and smoke in any lodge he happens to enter without
invitation, receives many small presents, and is a general favorite for
the trouble he gives himself.
8. Master of the Park, Wo-wee-nah. A park or pen to catch buffalo is
not at all times made, though almost every winter there is one or two
among the Assiniboin. We will have occasion to refer to this original
method of hunting in another place; at present it suffices to say
that the person who superintends that employment is some old conjuror
or medicine man who is said to make the buffalo appear and to bring
them toward the pen. He makes sacrifices to the Wind, the Sun, and
to Wakoñda, etc., of tobacco, scarlet cloth, and other things; he is
a necromancer and is supposed to be possessed of supernatural powers
and knowledge; he has from four to six runners under his command whose
business it is to discover the buffalo within 20 or 30 miles around,
and to report to him.
9. Young men, Ko-ash-kah-pe. These are a numerous body, some warriors,
some hunters, some neither. Those who have killed or struck enemies or
stolen many horses from their foes are entitled to sit in the council
and are always invited, principally to hear and give their assent or
dissent in responses, gestures, etc. They, no doubt, would be allowed
to speak but they never do, because those who are older speak, and they
are generally the fathers and relations of these young men. In this
modesty of deportment they are much to be admired. They always conform
to the decisions of the soldiers and the chiefs. The partisans or
leaders of war parties are chosen sometimes from these young men, when
by their acts they have proved a capacity to lead, though mostly it is
one of the soldiers who raises and leads the war expedition.
The Partisan is in command during the entire expedition, directs their
movements, possesses the power of a military captain among the whites,
and receives the honors or bears the disgrace of success or failure,
his authority in that capacity ceasing on his return to camp from the
war.
10. Doctors, alias conjurors, alias priests, alias soothsayers, alias
prophets, Wah-con-we-chasta. These have been alluded to under the head
of “General Practice” in their medical capacity. They are not numerous,
form no distinct body, and unite the above talents in the same person.
They do many tricks well, also foretell events, interpret dreams, utter
incantations, medicine speeches and prayers, and cry for the dead, etc.
They are believed sincerely by all to possess supernatural powers. The
males of this class are sometimes in councils but they have little
influence there. Councils are matters of fact and do not admit of their
noise and flummery, without which they are ciphers. They are tolerated
because somewhat feared, are paid for their services, and by no means
rank as very respectable and efficient councillors, warriors, or men.
11. Very old men, We-chah-chape. These are few. Indians are not
long-lived. These are countenanced in private feasts and ordinary
conversation, principally on account of their talent in reciting fables
and creating mirth for the rest. They also sing for the doctors and
cry for the dead when paid, are poor, not respected, and manage to rub
through the rest of their days the best way they can. They never sit in
council when very old, are neglected, and serve for a butt and ridicule
for the young. They stay at home, make pipes, smoke, and eat constantly
and are ready at all times to offer their services when something is to
be gained.
12. Young women, We-kosh-kap-pi, do little work before they are married
and have their first child, after which time they commence a laborious
life. Before this they go for wood and water, garnish with beads and
porcupine quills, and other light work. They gather berries, assist in
dances, paint, and show themselves.
13. Middle-aged Women, Wé-yah-pe. These are the wives of the soldiers
or middle-aged men, and their time is employed in dressing skins,
cooking, drying meat, taking care of their children, making cloth for
their family. They are always busy, but can not be said to lead a too
laborious or miserable life.
14. Very Old Women, We-noh-chah (Sioux), Wa-kun-kun-ah (Assiniboin).
On these fall all drudging and scullionry, some of their occupations
being too disgusting to relate. They also pound meat and berries, make
pemmican, carry burdens, and are used pretty much as one of their dogs.
They are thrown into the fort or left on the prairie to die by their
own relatives.
15. Boys and Girls, Och-she-pe wechin chap-pe. The boys hunt rabbits,
set traps for foxes, play, but they seldom quarrel; they are great
pests and nuisances, both in camp and in the fort; they are spoiled by
their parents—forward, officious, tormenting, and impudent. The girls
are modest, timid, and exceedingly well behaved.
Very Small Children, Yaque-ske-pe-nah, are carried about on the backs
of their mothers, or packed on dogs; they stand severe cold well, do
not cry much, and are suckled for two or three years. The children
are as well taken care of as they can be in the roving mode of life
of their parents, but being subject to exposure in all weather and
accidents. About two out of five are raised.
The ahkitchetah regulate the hunt. The buffalo are not hunted by a
large camp as each individual chooses, but surrounded by the whole
camp at one time, which we will describe in that part of the report
which refers to hunting and to game laws. The dogs for these hunts are
determined by the chief and soldiers in the soldiers’ lodge, and the
people are individually forbidden to hunt or in any manner to raise the
buffalo before that time. The reason is that by going in a body and
hemming in or surrounding them, some hundreds of the animals are slain
in a short time, whereas by one man’s individual hunting the whole
herd would be frightened and run away and the camp thereby be always
in a starving condition, instead of having abundance of meat as is the
case when the laws respecting the surround are enforced. Should any
person or persons violate these laws, after the decree of the soldiers’
lodge has been published, they (the soldiers) meet him on his return
home, take his meat, kill his dogs, or horses, cut his hides up, cut
his lodge to pieces, break his gun and bow, etc. If the individual
resists or attempts to revenge any of these things he is shot down on
the spot by the soldiers, or struck down by a tomahawk and pounded
to death. Occasionally they are also thrashed with bows, in addition
to the breaking of the gun, etc. The writer has seen two killed and
many severely thrashed for these misdemeanors. The consequences of
destroying the hunts are serious to the whole camp, hence the violent
penalty and examples are made occasionally which serve to increase the
respect and fear of the soldiers as a body, and enables that business to proceed with order.
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기