Post by ephriam on Apr 23, 2014 5:27:44 GMT -5
Interview with Edmond S. Meany:
Pine Ridge S.D. 12 July 1907
John Monroe Interpreter
In Tipi Okei Free House on edge of village for strangers
Belongs to Chief Yellow Boy whose son-in-law Philip White occupies it.
Bring Spotted Horses Woman
Ga le shka a gli win
81 years old. Ogalala woman
When her husband or brother return from hunting she washed his hands and painted them red and also feet.
She made for her husband, Black Moon, a shield of rawhide and covered with a design of curves from circumference to center. From center was suspended an eagle feather. Her husband did not tell her what the rings meant but he told her to work it with porcupine quills. In a fight with Crows Black Moon was shot by a Crow through his leg into the horse. She also made a medicine bag about 10 inches long and six wide ornamented with quills. Cheyennes gave her husband his medicine and she does not know what it was.
When the people moved the village the shields and medicine bags were not carried by the men but by the unmarried maidens, relatives of the owners of such shields and medicine bags. But she having no daughter carried her husband's shield, medicine bag and spear.
Stretched buffalo hide on ground, pinned it down. Hair scraped off and hide shaved by chisel with straps to go around wrist. Edge of chisel has sharpened teeth. Before the iron they used thigh bone of the elk. Also used crooked tip of elk horn fitting in iron blade.
She would prepare three hides in a day for tipi. Some lazy squaws use 12 hides, others 18 and big ones 20 hides for a tipi.
Tipis, some of them painted black. The strips of the hides containing peg holes hung on top of lodge poles for kind of flags. Does not know whether paint on tipis was medicine or not. Only few thus painted.
Her husband got up just at break of day and when after horses and she got up and made fire and cooked. Before matches took rotted wood very dry and in hand just in front hold a flint and struck iron.
In old days she and her sister went for turnips with dogs and travois and lost, wandered on prairie until at last their father found them.
They had the sun dance and then 100 warriors and 6 women of which she was one. The chief was Yellow Hair.
They started from Bear Butte and in four days travel they go to Little Big Horn, and on the 4th morning one scout reported that the Crow scouts had discovered them. There were fifteen of the Crow scouts. Just before the Sioux medicine man made an offering of the skin cut from both arms of the six women and buffalo robes, and pipes and cloth and medicine rods to Great Mystery.
After this they charged on the Crow scouts and chased them about 5 miles into the brush and killed them all between 10 and 12. This was about 33 years ago. Three Sioux were killed in this fight. They were buried in the rocks feet touching the others. The dead Crows were left on the ground where they fell.
They never slept but they hurried home for four nights. They were scared and had scouts out in the rear. They brought three scalps. They did not get the other scalps. One Crow was overhanging from a cliff and his dog by his side howling. They wanted that scalp but were afraid that other Crows were there and did not go for it. She was not positive they were Crows but she felt relieved because one was killed holding a boy in his arms. This was vengeance for the squaw captured by the Crows and made to walk back to the Sioux. She had remained in mourning until vengeance was obtained. [in the margin:] The Sioux cut off the boy's hands and brought them home. Each of the six women had lost relatives. The father's sorrow was what they aimed at in killing the boy.
On the return one of the wounded Sioux died. They gave him great honor by preparing a couch, suspended between four poles. On the top of the poles they put four scalps of Crows and marched around the village in a procession. They had already sent a messenger to the village telling the people to paint themselves black for victory. They buried the warrior, then danced and sang all day and all night and quit at daylight.
Buffalo hunt.
They were camped at Thick Timber on the other side of the Black Hills. It was very cold in the winter time. It took them three days before they saw any buffalo. They ere badly scared for fear they would meet Crow Indians. On the third day they saw the buffalo and the herald told the warriors to get their best running horses and bows and arrows and the squaws to get the packs ready and to follow the warriors in the rear. The warriors divided and split so as to surround the herd and charge from the rear. The buffalo retreated toward the women who got alarmed and fled in all directions. There were about 40 lodges in all directions.
The warriors killed many buffaloes and she brought home 20 hides and tanned them all. In the Spring she finished them and sold to the white traders.
The warriors skin the buffalo and cut up the meat but the squaws take the paunch, heart, liver and intestines and prepare. The squaws also dry the meat, some which is smoked. Packed in Wok-pan. She does not know the ceremonies before the buffalo hunt.
Pine Ridge S.D. 12 July 1907
John Monroe Interpreter
In Tipi Okei Free House on edge of village for strangers
Belongs to Chief Yellow Boy whose son-in-law Philip White occupies it.
Bring Spotted Horses Woman
Ga le shka a gli win
81 years old. Ogalala woman
When her husband or brother return from hunting she washed his hands and painted them red and also feet.
She made for her husband, Black Moon, a shield of rawhide and covered with a design of curves from circumference to center. From center was suspended an eagle feather. Her husband did not tell her what the rings meant but he told her to work it with porcupine quills. In a fight with Crows Black Moon was shot by a Crow through his leg into the horse. She also made a medicine bag about 10 inches long and six wide ornamented with quills. Cheyennes gave her husband his medicine and she does not know what it was.
When the people moved the village the shields and medicine bags were not carried by the men but by the unmarried maidens, relatives of the owners of such shields and medicine bags. But she having no daughter carried her husband's shield, medicine bag and spear.
Stretched buffalo hide on ground, pinned it down. Hair scraped off and hide shaved by chisel with straps to go around wrist. Edge of chisel has sharpened teeth. Before the iron they used thigh bone of the elk. Also used crooked tip of elk horn fitting in iron blade.
She would prepare three hides in a day for tipi. Some lazy squaws use 12 hides, others 18 and big ones 20 hides for a tipi.
Tipis, some of them painted black. The strips of the hides containing peg holes hung on top of lodge poles for kind of flags. Does not know whether paint on tipis was medicine or not. Only few thus painted.
Her husband got up just at break of day and when after horses and she got up and made fire and cooked. Before matches took rotted wood very dry and in hand just in front hold a flint and struck iron.
In old days she and her sister went for turnips with dogs and travois and lost, wandered on prairie until at last their father found them.
They had the sun dance and then 100 warriors and 6 women of which she was one. The chief was Yellow Hair.
They started from Bear Butte and in four days travel they go to Little Big Horn, and on the 4th morning one scout reported that the Crow scouts had discovered them. There were fifteen of the Crow scouts. Just before the Sioux medicine man made an offering of the skin cut from both arms of the six women and buffalo robes, and pipes and cloth and medicine rods to Great Mystery.
After this they charged on the Crow scouts and chased them about 5 miles into the brush and killed them all between 10 and 12. This was about 33 years ago. Three Sioux were killed in this fight. They were buried in the rocks feet touching the others. The dead Crows were left on the ground where they fell.
They never slept but they hurried home for four nights. They were scared and had scouts out in the rear. They brought three scalps. They did not get the other scalps. One Crow was overhanging from a cliff and his dog by his side howling. They wanted that scalp but were afraid that other Crows were there and did not go for it. She was not positive they were Crows but she felt relieved because one was killed holding a boy in his arms. This was vengeance for the squaw captured by the Crows and made to walk back to the Sioux. She had remained in mourning until vengeance was obtained. [in the margin:] The Sioux cut off the boy's hands and brought them home. Each of the six women had lost relatives. The father's sorrow was what they aimed at in killing the boy.
On the return one of the wounded Sioux died. They gave him great honor by preparing a couch, suspended between four poles. On the top of the poles they put four scalps of Crows and marched around the village in a procession. They had already sent a messenger to the village telling the people to paint themselves black for victory. They buried the warrior, then danced and sang all day and all night and quit at daylight.
Buffalo hunt.
They were camped at Thick Timber on the other side of the Black Hills. It was very cold in the winter time. It took them three days before they saw any buffalo. They ere badly scared for fear they would meet Crow Indians. On the third day they saw the buffalo and the herald told the warriors to get their best running horses and bows and arrows and the squaws to get the packs ready and to follow the warriors in the rear. The warriors divided and split so as to surround the herd and charge from the rear. The buffalo retreated toward the women who got alarmed and fled in all directions. There were about 40 lodges in all directions.
The warriors killed many buffaloes and she brought home 20 hides and tanned them all. In the Spring she finished them and sold to the white traders.
The warriors skin the buffalo and cut up the meat but the squaws take the paunch, heart, liver and intestines and prepare. The squaws also dry the meat, some which is smoked. Packed in Wok-pan. She does not know the ceremonies before the buffalo hunt.
