THE SUN-DANCE OF THE SIOUX
by
George William Hill
Source: NORTH DAKOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MS 10607, George W. Hill
Papers, 1875.
Some years since, while on duty with my regiment, the 22nd United States
Infantry at Fort Sully, D. T. [Dakota Territory] where a thousand or more
of the Sioux nation were gathered waiting for the Indian Commissioners, it
was my good fortune to witness the famous Sun-Dance of the Sioux Nation, it
being the principal dance of the Nation, and so far as I know or have heard
it is peculiar to the Sioux, yet I venture to say that other tribes have
a similar dance and for similar purposes.
I was informed by the interpreter that this dance is for two or three purposes.
One is for the payment of their vows made during the year. It is at
this dance that they are initiated into the band of Strong Hearts, a band
which binds one to another to be brave when on a war party, to carry off the
wounded and fallen in battle, not to, if possible, show any sign of anger
to an opponent however much they may be provoked at the time, but to nurse
it for further occasions. Another thing is when about to start on a
war party or hunt, they make a vow to the Great Spirit to perform some act
of penance at the Sun-Dance if they are successful and return safe with their
plunder or a plenty of meat. Or if they are very sick, or are hurt by accident
during the year, while off on a war party or hunt, they vow to the Great Spirit
that if he will vouchsafe their restoration to health they will pay their
vow in some act of penance at the Sun-Dance. It therefore becomes a
sacred duty to be at the dance and pay their vows, and I learned that the
instances of failure to be present were very rare and only on account of sickness,
The Dance if the weather is favorable, always takes place at the full of
the moon in the month of June and holds for two days, as the one I witnessed
did, yet it may hold longer. About a week previous to the dance I heard
a great outcry and noise in the Indian camp – which was a short distance from
mine - that was made by two old Indians with long switches walking up and
down the camp haranguing in their to me gibberish and on inquiry I learned
that they were beginning preparations for the Sun-Dance. This haranguing
was calling on the young people and children large enough to go out and get
materials to inclose the space selected in which to hold the Sun-Dance.
The inclosure was circular in form with a radius of, I think, about twenty-five
feet and built in this wise-
First a pole, I judge about thirty feet long, was erected in the centre
of the plat selected to which was attached near the top a bundle of grass
that had been consecrated by the medicine-man and then stakes were driven
some three or four feet from each other and seven or eight feet high, leaving
a space on the east side toward the sun rising for an entrance of perhaps
ten feet. These stakes were then woven up to the top with willows so
close you could not see through them, that they might be as free from interruption
as possible while engaged in their ceremonies.
This preparing the inclosure occupied two or three days, as the Indians
are not given to hurrying when at manual labor. When the inclosure
was completed and ready for the dance there seemed to be unusual quiet and
order among them till the morning of the day set for the dance, then long
before sunrise they were about dressed in their finest feathers and garments,
some of which had been made tastefully and wrought with beads for the occasion
by their squaws, and their faces and arms fantastically painted, All
the Indians who took part in the dance were not present at the beginning -
which was at the first appearing of the sun - but kept coming in at the first
half of the day as they were ready, or the length of time it would take to
do the penance or complete the vow they had made to the Great Spirit.
On the one side of the arena a place was reserved for the orchestra which
consisted of some half a dozen Indians with their tomtoms. I may say
here that the white men, if any are about, are seldom permitted to witness
the dance, but, happening to be on good terms with a chief of one of the bands,
I was allowed free ingress and I therefore gave all the time I could spare
from my duties to satisfy my curiosity and get what information I could.
The place selected for the inclosure was a level plateau of several acres
and all the Indians old and young, male and female were gathered around to
give their sanction and influence to the dance by their presence. Inside
the inclosure were gathered male and female Indians, as many as could stand
in a space of about ten feet, leaving forty or more feet for the actors, who
stood in a circle around the sun pole waiting for the signal from the medicine-man
to begin. Just outside of the inclosure on a little elevation stood
the medicine-man, a powerfully built Sioux, rather more than six feet high,
straight as an arrow, he had an intelligent face, dressed in his official
robes, beside these he had on a buffalo robe with the skin of the head attached
and worn as a hood which was fastened under his chin, hanging down his back
ending in a trail some three or four feet long: thus caparisoned was
he who was to give the signal to start the dance. As he stood there,
the centre of all eyes, with his extended palm over his eyes to catch the
first glimmer of the morning sun, as its golden edge showed itself above the
horizon he waved his hand and gave a shout which was taken up and echoed by
a thousand voices who had been waiting quietly for the signal, so too, the
orchestra struck in with their tomtoms and those who were in the circular
line led off in the dance,
As those in civilized communities have their dances square and round that
cannot be described, I do not think anyone can describe an Indian dance intelligibly.
It is out of the question, for all in line have similar actions, such as moving
bodily in a circle, raising their feet alternately as if to step, the motions
of the body backward and forward and laterally, with movements of the hands
and arms in every conceivable direction the expressions of their countenances
and the grimaces to accompany the motions of the body must be seen to be
realized, as I think no description can do justice to the scenes. At
the time of starting the dance there were some fifteen or more In line to
open the strange scene fantastically dressed and at once began the dance which
was kepttup constantly for two full days. I was informed by the interpreter
that many of them had been preparing for the ordeal for some time by fasting
and other ceremonies, and that no one who started in the dance was allowed
or would eat or drink until it was ended, on pain of losing caste in their
tribe, so that several fainted and were carried out to a near by tepee to
recover from the exhaustion, and I was told that not one who fell In this
manner returned to join In the festivities. The strain on their
nervous system as well as physical was very great, as they enter into it
with all the energy and spirit at their command. The dancers always
accompany themselves with singing as well as by the orchestra, and it is
a strange medley, sometimes a low weird monotone, then a quick sharp yelping
again a loud hallooing with hi yi’s, and then with a high long screech the
hand to the mouth patting the lips in quick succession making a noise such
as none but an Indian can make. At intervals the squaws would join
in the music with their treble voices thus varying the monotony of the musical
part. As the dance proceeded the bucks would get excited over the incidents
over which they were doing penance or paying their vows and break out in
a speech (when all dancing would cease for the time, and thus gain a rest)
detailing the scene of the war party or hunt, brandish their weapons and
pipes in wild gesture, and sometimes mark out the position of the parties
on the ground and end with a hi yi taken up by all.
These speeches would be from five to fifteen minutes long as the occasion
would require or the ability of the speaker to depict, and so it continued,
alternating with speech and dance for two days.
At this dance they perpetrate their most barbarous acts, and it was my fortune
to witness one of the worst scenes that is said to be enacted.
About ten o'clock of the first day as I was watching the dance, there came
Into the arena three Indians, two of them carried two stakes each, the third
nearly nude carrying the buffalo thongs and skewers. They selected
a spot near the sun pole and drove the stakes in the four corners of a square
of six to eight feet solidly, the one having the thongs and skewers stepped
proudly to the centre of the square when the two made the thongs fast to the
stakes with scant length enough to touch the breast and back of the victim.
In a few minutes the entrance was cleared and the medicine-man marched stately
in and stood in front of the victim, went through some incantations and then
prepared him for the ordeal. This he did by taking the skin of the breast
between his thumb and finger equidistant from the nipple to the collar bone,
raising it, running a knife through and inserting a skewer, thus he did to
both sides of his breast and opposite them on the back and to these were
attached the thongs. The skewers were of hard dry ash wood, triangular,
about a third of an inch on a side, three inches long and quite sharp on the
edge.
Now being ready he began to dance and sing to take his mind from the pain
of his barbarous act, then he leaned back to bring the weight of his body
on the thong, tenderly and cautiously at first until he had aroused his courage
and determination, when he would fire up and spring back, with the ferocity
of a tiger, to break out the skewer, but the dark brawny skin stretched to
the extent of ten or more inches, foiling his attempts yet he kept at it for
hours with occasional rests of a few minutes, and by a close watch of his
countenance you could see the spirit of determination aroused almost to a
state of frenzy. I stood near by for hours watching him, but he did
not succeed in freeing himself from a thong, and went away to dinner with
my curiosity well excited as well as my feelings of commiseration. When
I returned in the early afternoon he had broken the skewer from the right
breast, and I could see that he was losing strength, he was resting oftener,
his voice had weakened, he had substituted a whistle made from the bone of
a goose wing, (I have one like it among my Indian trinkets and relics) which
he blew unsteadily. In an hour perhaps after my entrance in the afternoon
I saw him break the skewer from his left breast and when it broke it sounded
like the bursting of a percussion cap then came quite a long rest,
he panting and perspiring freely, and a gleam of satisfaction for a moment
burst from his countenance.
After the brief rest he renewed his torture with an intent seemingly more
savage, as, now being more free from the thongs at his breast it gave him
more freedom of movement, so that as he danced he could move back between
the stakes stop an instant then, make a lunge with the ferocity of a maddened
bull. Thus he kept on till I saw him break the skewer from his right
shoulder, I then left him tugging away at the last skewer and saw no more
of his torture, but on inquiry next morning I learned that he freed himself
in the early evening and when he did he fell to the ground, he was carried
to a near by tepee, where I was informed he died from the effects of his self
inflicted torture.
While I was witnessing the barbarous scene above described in the afternoon
of the first day, there came into the arena a tall muscular Indian nearly
nude, laid himself on the ground face down, followed by the medicine-man who
prepared him for his ordeal, by raising the skin on his loins above his belt
and Inserting three skewers to which he attached buffalo skulls. This
done he raised himself standing erect and still for a few moments then he
began to sing and dance about the arena to free himself from his load by
breaking the skewers from his loins. I saw him break one of them out
and watched him tugging at the others for an hour or more when he stopped
his dancing and I could see by the expression of his face he was in great
pain from the distended skin of his loins, the skulls dangling about his legs
and nearly touching the ground. By their laws or customs he could not
detach them only by dancing or running till they broke out, but he could hire
some one to cut them off, so he called two friends, and gave each a pony
in the presence of the lookers on to cut them off which they did.
The dance was continued for the two full days with varying scenes, some
cutting or scarring their arms, others their legs or thighs, some both, with
gashes straight or crosswise as fancy dictated or their vows called for.
This dance is held yearly with larger or smaller gatherings and I was informed
the ceremonies varied with each year, and very rarely are the barbarous scenes
here described enacted as few are found with courage enough to brave the ordeal.
I have witnessed dances among the Yanktons, Yanktonais, Minnecongoes, Blackfeet,
Sissetons, Waupetons, and others, of their various kinds. The war dance
with its shoutings, hootings and threatenings, the buffalo dance, when they
fasten the horns of the buffalo to their head and on hands and feet hook and
gore each other after the manner of the brute, the scalp dance, where they
yell and hoot, savagely brandish their knives, tomahawks and other weapons
over the scalps yet soft and pliable with their natural moisture, but in none
of them have I ever seen such barbarous scenes as described here, rivaling
the hook swing of India, and it is to be hoped that, as the white population
gather around the reservations with their civilizing tendencies, and the missionary
with the church and school, and their christianizing influences, they will
eliminate these barbarous scenes from it, if not eradicate the dance entirely.
This is a true and unedited copy of a typewritten manuscript (the handwritten
original of which is missing) written by Capt, George William Hill, and found
amongst his papers.