The Dakotas and the Iroquois have always been considered as the most powerful and warlike of the aboriginal races of North America. Both of these tribes also possessed, certain religious customs relating to the mental and physical training of their youthful warriors, which were intended to strengthen their characters, and to give them the power to endure privations and suffering with fortitude. The Dakotas carried into effect their observances to an extent far beyond that of any other race. Their superstitions and religious ceremonies, with reference to this system of preparing the foundations for the establishment of the qualities required to enable a Dakota to fulfil his duties as a courageous and honourable member of his tribe, are most characteristic, and appear to be invaluable elements in the formation of the qualities required by a race dwelling in wild and desolate lands, surrounded by enemies. It was an invariable rule with all the Dakotas, that the youths upon reaching manhood, should pass through a probationary period of fasting. This was done for the purpose of enabling each young Dakota to obtain a knowledge of the spiritual world by which he was surrounded, and to learn, by the revelations that would be made to him in dreams, the nature of the Manito which would influence his thoughts and actions during his life. The fasts were always performed in solitude, far away from the tribe, and frequently continued for a considerable time. It was supposed that towards the latter part of this probation, his dreams would give him an insight into the mysterious conditions of life and nature that appeared to be supernatural, and that he would discover the god, animal or other object to which he was especially linked and which he was to propitiate by sacrifices.
It was an essential part of this early endurance of trial and abstinence, that it not only should be performed in secret, but that for the remainder of his life the Indian should hold his faith in silence, and never communicate to others what his dreams had revealed to him. Thus far this early initiation into the mysteries of the unknown world had practically the effect of establishing the mental character, and was a form of training which impressed upon each Indian a separate individuality. Upon the conclusion of the probation of fasting and solitude, the youths had each to pass through trials of their physical endurance, and had to suffer various tortures to prove themselves to be capable of becoming warriors, and to show their manhood by their power of bearing pain with unflinching fortitude.
When I was in that part of the continent which for long periods of time had been occupied by the branch of the Dakota race called Sioux, I endeavoured to ascertain the nature and practice of these customs as far as they were known by the existing Indians. In prosecuting these researches into a subject so interesting and exclusive, I was fortunate in meeting with a man so well informed upon all matters connected with these Indians as the half-breed Faribault. He had lived with the Sioux for many years at the time when they had possession of lands bordering upon the banks of the Mississippi, and had been present, on several occasions, when their most serious superstitious ceremonies were performed. Amongst these were the propitiations made to the sun, a form of worship which was more rigidly and earnestly practised by the Dakotas than by any other nation in North America.
Sun worship existed amongst all the Indian tribes dwelling in the Mississippi valley, particularly with the Natchez in Louisiana, but the manner and the ceremonies differed, and with none of them were the painful personal sufferings and penances, undergone by the worshippers, so great as they were with the Dakotas. An instance of the severity of this penance occurred in the year 1849, when Faribault was living with a Sioux tribe encamped on the western shores of the Mississippi, near Prairie la Crosse. “An Indian,” he said, “dreamt that he had incurred the displeasure of the Great Spirit, and that it was necessary to appease him by sacrificing to him everything that he valued, and also to perform penance by undergoing the utmost pain that he was able to endure. A scaffolding was raised near the camp, consisting of two upright poles—of sufficient length—which were firmly fixed in the ground. These were connected near the top by a cross pole. When this was completed the Indian stood up and, shortly before daybreak, a cut was made within the fleshy parts of each arm near the shoulders through which was passed a rope. Cuts or holes were then made in the breasts and other ropes were pushed through them. The cords were then tied to the stakes in such a manner that the arms were suspended by them. The breast ropes were secured in a position such as to allow that a certain portion of the man’s weight was held by them. His feet were allowed just to touch the ground. His dog was killed and placed in front of him together with his blanket, cut into strips, his feathers, his ornaments, and all that he possessed.
“When these preparations were made the Indian waited for the rising of the sun, and directly it appeared above the eastern horizon he threw his head back and fixing his gaze upon it commenced dancing. His friends at the same time maintained an incessant beating of a small drum. The dancing continued throughout the day, the Indian moving his position as the sun moved and taking care always to keep the sun in his front and to gaze steadfastly upon it without shrinking from its full light. After sunset he remained watching the western sky throughout the night. In the morning he turned round towards the dawn and when the sun appeared, was immediately cut down from the scaffold and fell exhausted upon the ground.”
This act of sun worship is frequently performed, and the Sioux firmly believe that if they do not obey the dream which points out to them this duty, serious misfortunes will happen to them and their families. Instances have been known of men being able to endure long periods of torture, and young Indians, when passing through the early trials of their strength, will frequently remain for hours entirely suspended by ropes rove through their flesh. It is not possible to estimate the actual personal suffering thus inflicted upon themselves by these North American Indians, by the standard of what would be felt by more sensitive and more highly organised races. I have seen Chinamen endure with stolid indifference, tortures that would cause Europeans to feel the utmost agony.[47]
The Dakotas had another form of sun worship, which is still practised by some of the tribes in the West, but which appears to be chiefly intended as a tribal thanksgiving or rejoicing. A pole is raised in the centre of the encampment and upon it are placed figures of birds, beasts and reptiles. The Indians dance round this pole during the day taking care to keep their faces towards the sun. Shortly before sunset the figures are shot at until they have all fallen upon the ground. After this there is another dance which ends when the sun sinks below the horizon. The ceremony is then concluded.
Sickness is, with the Dakotas as with the Pawnees, considered to have been sent as a punishment for some wrong deed that has been committed either by an individual or by the tribe. I was told by Faribault that whenever a Sioux found that he was suffering from illness he sent for the medicine man,[48] who, upon his arrival, would immediately proceed to ascertain what evil act the patient had done, and would then take the requisite measures to drive out the evil spirit representing the nature of the offence. It is assumed that the offence committed by the sick person has some reference to a man, woman or animal. The medicine man, who pretends to have the power of second-sight, looks steadily at the patient, until he declares that he can see the inner demon that torments him. After certain incantations, he makes out of clay an image of the creature which is causing the sickness, and then shoots at it until it is shattered. It is expected that this act will cause the devil to depart. If this method of cure fails, other images are made, as it is then assumed that more than one evil deed has been perpetrated. Finally, if all these remedies are unsuccessful it is pronounced that the patient must perform a penance. This usually consists of a long fast, and is considered to be a personal matter strictly confined to the relations that exist between the Indian and the Manito under whose guidance he believes himself to be, and which has been ascertained during the period of the great fast performed in his youth.
It was the custom with the Sioux, whenever the head of the household died, for the women to mourn for a year. One of their chiefs had died a few years before I was at Mendota, and Faribault, who had known him intimately, went to the settlement to see the widow. He found her engaged in the occupation of cutting deep gashes in her arms and legs. She had, in her hand a rounded scalping knife and with this weapon she was striking herself and inflicting wounds from which blood was flowing. All the furniture and mats had been removed from the tepee or tent, and she was sitting upon the earth. At the conclusion of the time of mourning it is usual for the women to go to their friends or join some other household, and the old tepee is then thrown down and left in a heap upon the ground.
At the time that Faribault was speaking about these customs, there were present several Sioux, who had come from their encampment, and were listening to him. When he had finished his narrative, I took the opportunity of asking these men some questions about the belief of the Sioux, with respect to lightning and thunder, as I had heard that the Dakotas held some especial opinions upon these manifestations of supernatural power. One of the beliefs attributed to them was that lightning was a stone, and it was difficult to understand what could be their reason for holding such a strange belief. They said, in answer to my question, that lightning was certainly a stone, and that they knew it was so because they had seen it, and it was very hard and like a rock. Possibly the Indians had seen the fall of some aerolites, or they may have observed the effects of lightning after it had struck the earth. They state, that sometimes a small hot stone is found near the roots of a tree that has been injured by a flash of lightning.