Post by ephriam on Apr 17, 2014 6:09:08 GMT -5
Meany Interview:
Pine Ridge, S.D. 6 VII [July 19]07
Interpreter Nicholas Rouleaux
Stinking Bear
Ma-to-Hong-wymina
Long time ago any Indian wants to go on the war path, he tells any special friend he has decided to go on warpath. When night comes he will give war feast and ask the young men to come to the feast. All being noted the first man announces he intends to take the war trail and asks that some one would follow him. The first and special friend are always considered the head men of war party.
Once he decided to go on war path and told his friend Hollow-wood about it and that evening they put pemmican in wooden bowl and he called in his four brothers and told them where he was going and said he would erect a sweathouse in morning and have a medicine man forecast in it what was going to happen.
Next morning erected sweat house got some rocks and heated them and put them in the sweathouse. Medicine man came in and took his knife and cut off grass to make smooth spot and he told the others to see if there was anything on that spot. They could see nothing. It as all smooth. Medicine man put down sweat house. He sang medicine song and repeat two or three prayers. As soon as trap was raised they saw nothing but small horse tracks on plot. The place looked as though big band of horses went over this place.
Medicine man told him he would get so many horses from the enemy and told him that Crow Indians are camping at head of the Elk River.
Later he and thirteen others started on war path. It took a few days to get to the place mentioned by med. man where they found Crows camped. Waited till night fall, crept on camp and stole something over 100 horses from Crow Indians. They reached home without encountering anything.
Just before they came in sight of Sioux village they dressed in war bonnets and rode through village calling out their own names and said they had brought home Crow horses. They went back and brought horses. Then Indians in village took buffalo ropes and caught whatever horses they wanted.
Sioux were glad because the war party had brought so many horses without losing a life, so they had quite a victory dance.
His brother, Black Road, wanted to go on war party, erected sweat house, called in medicine man. Black Road was at that time a war prophet. Long before he had fasted and had a dream in which an eagle came and told him he would be his friend and whenever he was in trouble or wanted to know anything to build a sweat house and call on him in songs and prayers. Thus he became a prophet.
In the sweat house he erected that morning he repeated a song four times and a prayer four times in supplication to this eagle. When he got through with songs and prayers he told people there was party of 10 Crows on way to Sioux village and that Sioux party would meet the Crows and kill all of them east of where Crow Agency is now on little creek east of agency.
After sweating process was over, 45 Sioux started out on warpath. Met Crow party where prophesied, Crows having erected a sweat house and Sioux killed all of them and took home scalps when they had quite a war dance. Scalps tied on small sticks and squaws carry them in war dance.
Sioux camping on Tongue R. going to Big Horn when medicine man told them that Sioux would be killed and would lose horses and Sioux would kill only one Crow.
So from Big Horn all Sioux turned back except 10 who went on. Stinking Bear and his brother-in-law, Saves Bear, were with party of 10. After travel one day camp at creek. His heart thumped and his ears went "toom" on both sides, so he and Sage Bear went back and 8 went on.
When they got home were told Crows were stealing horses from Sioux. Med. man said he would kill Crow Indians that night. Stinking Bear had gun loaded and knife at side as he went to bed. Tipi only 50 yds. from that of med. man tipi. Med. man called he had killed Crow Ind. Stinking bear took knife and ran over. Saw black object on ground and found it was human being, felt of his head and found it was Crow Indian. Crow got hold of his arms but was too weak to hold tight. He Stinking B. stepped back took gun and shot twice, took knife and scalped him.
Crowd gathered around, built fire and had big war dance over it.
Next morning brought pieces of tobacco and put o body of Crow and food for his spirit to eat. These were offerings to spirit because they had killed him in cold blooded manner because they did not know whether he had come as friend or enemy.
Toward noon Sioux took down tipis to move away when one of war party came back and said other 7 were killed by Crows.
Stinking Bear.
War party found dead bear and gave offerings to bear and gave name to young man to help on success of war party. Medicine man told him he would have long life. He is now 61 and only little gray hair.
Long time ago, young man in vil[lage] had 8 sisters. This young man when he caught or courted young girl she would always tell him to marry one of his own sisters. So he got tired and ashamed. He fasted four days and cried for some mystery to give him some power to induce some girl to marry him (love medicine) on 4th day some said "Ah hal hey" "You have been keeping me awake. What are you crying for? What do you want? If you want any special thing tell me."
He their told his trouble and that he was evidently despised and hated by all women in vil. He then saw young man in sitting position in front of him. Spirit said, "take this. This is yellow paint. Take it home and before any one rises go to high mountains and cry out 4 times and 4th time he would draw all people to you. When they come be quiet and watch all maidens where they urinate and when people go away go and take wet ground and put in yellow paint and afterwards come to me at creek. Then spirit shook himself and it was elk and bullets and arrows fell out of elk.
Took yellow paint and went home & before anyone rose and did as he was bidden. All people came and girls urinated and he put wet earth in yellow paint and put some on head, arms and body. Girls would say "mah" and run to him. And he thus stole every maiden and then he went to stealing married women. Men did not like it and started to kill him. They took bows and arrows and started for his tipi. Young man arose and went to appointed place. Bullets and arrows fell to ground. He plunged into river and when he came up on other side he was elk. Another elk came went around him four times and took him off and that was end of Elk-Man. He was never heard of again.
When Pine Ridge Agency was established 100 Sioux went to Montana to kill buffalo and he killed 18 buffalo in one chase.
In all his life he killed 1000 buffalo and 78 elk.
Never killed Crow but took 4 scalps of Crows.
Killed buffalo calf, was red and on head was spot as if some one had put paint on it. Hoofs were red. Only one such he ever saw.
One buffalo had only three legs.
Brother killed buffalo with birds nest on neck. Another with human in throat. Indians kept that hair long time.
Knew of buffalo with three horns small one under larger horn.
Never fought Shoshones but stole horses from them.
Scalps of Crows made into scalp shirt which he gave to Poor Elk at White Clay on last 4th of July.
Sitting Bull of Uncpapa Tribe was greatest of war prophets but Crazy Horse was greatest warrior.
Uncpapa means "Down the Creek"
Cried over Indians killing cowboys and got letter from U.S. Ind. Com[missioner]
Never was med[icine] man. Don't believe in it for there is one God who is great med. Puts wisdom in heart.
4 hawks feathers in hat representing 4 Crow scalps.
On mountain tops traps for catching eagles, bait of deer.
Stinking Bear
Pine Ridge
United States of America
Department of the Interior
Office of Indian Affairs
Washington D.C. March 10, 1906
This is to certify that reposing trust in the integrity, sobriety, intelligence and discretion of Stinking Bear and in recognition of his progress in the ways of civilized life, I do hereby appoint him a Visitor to the Number 25 Day School on the Pine Ridge reservation, under the charge of J. R. Brennan U.S. Indian Agent, Pine Ridge Agency, from the tenth day of March, 1906, and he is to be recognized and respected accordingly.
This appoint will expire June 30, 1908, unless this Commission be sooner revoked by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
C. H. Larrabee
Acting Commissioner
The bearer Stinking Bear is a Good Indian and is endeavoring to acquire a moral.
J. R. Brennan
Agt.
Pine Ridge, S.D. 6 VII [July 19]07
Interpreter Nicholas Rouleaux
Stinking Bear
Ma-to-Hong-wymina
Long time ago any Indian wants to go on the war path, he tells any special friend he has decided to go on warpath. When night comes he will give war feast and ask the young men to come to the feast. All being noted the first man announces he intends to take the war trail and asks that some one would follow him. The first and special friend are always considered the head men of war party.
Once he decided to go on war path and told his friend Hollow-wood about it and that evening they put pemmican in wooden bowl and he called in his four brothers and told them where he was going and said he would erect a sweathouse in morning and have a medicine man forecast in it what was going to happen.
Next morning erected sweat house got some rocks and heated them and put them in the sweathouse. Medicine man came in and took his knife and cut off grass to make smooth spot and he told the others to see if there was anything on that spot. They could see nothing. It as all smooth. Medicine man put down sweat house. He sang medicine song and repeat two or three prayers. As soon as trap was raised they saw nothing but small horse tracks on plot. The place looked as though big band of horses went over this place.
Medicine man told him he would get so many horses from the enemy and told him that Crow Indians are camping at head of the Elk River.
Later he and thirteen others started on war path. It took a few days to get to the place mentioned by med. man where they found Crows camped. Waited till night fall, crept on camp and stole something over 100 horses from Crow Indians. They reached home without encountering anything.
Just before they came in sight of Sioux village they dressed in war bonnets and rode through village calling out their own names and said they had brought home Crow horses. They went back and brought horses. Then Indians in village took buffalo ropes and caught whatever horses they wanted.
Sioux were glad because the war party had brought so many horses without losing a life, so they had quite a victory dance.
His brother, Black Road, wanted to go on war party, erected sweat house, called in medicine man. Black Road was at that time a war prophet. Long before he had fasted and had a dream in which an eagle came and told him he would be his friend and whenever he was in trouble or wanted to know anything to build a sweat house and call on him in songs and prayers. Thus he became a prophet.
In the sweat house he erected that morning he repeated a song four times and a prayer four times in supplication to this eagle. When he got through with songs and prayers he told people there was party of 10 Crows on way to Sioux village and that Sioux party would meet the Crows and kill all of them east of where Crow Agency is now on little creek east of agency.
After sweating process was over, 45 Sioux started out on warpath. Met Crow party where prophesied, Crows having erected a sweat house and Sioux killed all of them and took home scalps when they had quite a war dance. Scalps tied on small sticks and squaws carry them in war dance.
Sioux camping on Tongue R. going to Big Horn when medicine man told them that Sioux would be killed and would lose horses and Sioux would kill only one Crow.
So from Big Horn all Sioux turned back except 10 who went on. Stinking Bear and his brother-in-law, Saves Bear, were with party of 10. After travel one day camp at creek. His heart thumped and his ears went "toom" on both sides, so he and Sage Bear went back and 8 went on.
When they got home were told Crows were stealing horses from Sioux. Med. man said he would kill Crow Indians that night. Stinking Bear had gun loaded and knife at side as he went to bed. Tipi only 50 yds. from that of med. man tipi. Med. man called he had killed Crow Ind. Stinking bear took knife and ran over. Saw black object on ground and found it was human being, felt of his head and found it was Crow Indian. Crow got hold of his arms but was too weak to hold tight. He Stinking B. stepped back took gun and shot twice, took knife and scalped him.
Crowd gathered around, built fire and had big war dance over it.
Next morning brought pieces of tobacco and put o body of Crow and food for his spirit to eat. These were offerings to spirit because they had killed him in cold blooded manner because they did not know whether he had come as friend or enemy.
Toward noon Sioux took down tipis to move away when one of war party came back and said other 7 were killed by Crows.
Stinking Bear.
War party found dead bear and gave offerings to bear and gave name to young man to help on success of war party. Medicine man told him he would have long life. He is now 61 and only little gray hair.
Long time ago, young man in vil[lage] had 8 sisters. This young man when he caught or courted young girl she would always tell him to marry one of his own sisters. So he got tired and ashamed. He fasted four days and cried for some mystery to give him some power to induce some girl to marry him (love medicine) on 4th day some said "Ah hal hey" "You have been keeping me awake. What are you crying for? What do you want? If you want any special thing tell me."
He their told his trouble and that he was evidently despised and hated by all women in vil. He then saw young man in sitting position in front of him. Spirit said, "take this. This is yellow paint. Take it home and before any one rises go to high mountains and cry out 4 times and 4th time he would draw all people to you. When they come be quiet and watch all maidens where they urinate and when people go away go and take wet ground and put in yellow paint and afterwards come to me at creek. Then spirit shook himself and it was elk and bullets and arrows fell out of elk.
Took yellow paint and went home & before anyone rose and did as he was bidden. All people came and girls urinated and he put wet earth in yellow paint and put some on head, arms and body. Girls would say "mah" and run to him. And he thus stole every maiden and then he went to stealing married women. Men did not like it and started to kill him. They took bows and arrows and started for his tipi. Young man arose and went to appointed place. Bullets and arrows fell to ground. He plunged into river and when he came up on other side he was elk. Another elk came went around him four times and took him off and that was end of Elk-Man. He was never heard of again.
When Pine Ridge Agency was established 100 Sioux went to Montana to kill buffalo and he killed 18 buffalo in one chase.
In all his life he killed 1000 buffalo and 78 elk.
Never killed Crow but took 4 scalps of Crows.
Killed buffalo calf, was red and on head was spot as if some one had put paint on it. Hoofs were red. Only one such he ever saw.
One buffalo had only three legs.
Brother killed buffalo with birds nest on neck. Another with human in throat. Indians kept that hair long time.
Knew of buffalo with three horns small one under larger horn.
Never fought Shoshones but stole horses from them.
Scalps of Crows made into scalp shirt which he gave to Poor Elk at White Clay on last 4th of July.
Sitting Bull of Uncpapa Tribe was greatest of war prophets but Crazy Horse was greatest warrior.
Uncpapa means "Down the Creek"
Cried over Indians killing cowboys and got letter from U.S. Ind. Com[missioner]
Never was med[icine] man. Don't believe in it for there is one God who is great med. Puts wisdom in heart.
4 hawks feathers in hat representing 4 Crow scalps.
On mountain tops traps for catching eagles, bait of deer.
Stinking Bear
Pine Ridge
United States of America
Department of the Interior
Office of Indian Affairs
Washington D.C. March 10, 1906
This is to certify that reposing trust in the integrity, sobriety, intelligence and discretion of Stinking Bear and in recognition of his progress in the ways of civilized life, I do hereby appoint him a Visitor to the Number 25 Day School on the Pine Ridge reservation, under the charge of J. R. Brennan U.S. Indian Agent, Pine Ridge Agency, from the tenth day of March, 1906, and he is to be recognized and respected accordingly.
This appoint will expire June 30, 1908, unless this Commission be sooner revoked by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
C. H. Larrabee
Acting Commissioner
The bearer Stinking Bear is a Good Indian and is endeavoring to acquire a moral.
J. R. Brennan
Agt.
