To the American Indian

by Lucy Thompson

Photo by ERICSON

THE LODGE PREPARATION HOUSE, AND SWEAT-HOUSE, AT PEC-WAN, ON THE KLAMATH RIVER.

This highest marriage takes twelve strings of cheek, twelve pieces to each string, and out of the few marriages there was very few that was good to be made a Talth, and by this they were compelled to choose from the girls as well as the boys. The ones that were right for the Talth, to keep from loosing the workings of the order, as well as to keep the sacred name of God from being lost. If through famine or epidemic it would be lost in some of the places or lodges, they could get some that were Talth to come from Ah-ca-tah, Orick, Reck-woy or from some of the lodges from the Pech-ic-las, so that they could fix up the lodges and take some of the ones of the right birth and initiate in to the secret workings of the order, and make them Talth, and build the order up again. These things have happened many times in there long history and occupation of this land. Now all the old lumber that is taken from the lodge when it is to be made anew, is taken to the house which the Talth use for there preparations, and to keep the working tools in, and there it is used to renew the weak parts, and the rest is used for fire wood in this house, so that none of it is wasted.

The dance, after everything is fixed and all in readiness, will last for ten days, and when all is ready the Talth and all the workers, which are called Wer-ner-ger-ee, go to their different homes or friends and eat their supper, and after this is finished, all the workers with two of the Talth go out and gather wood, which is the small limbs and twigs of the huckleberry, which we make use of by keeping a small fire through the night in the lodge, and on the fire we burn incense roots which give off a pleasant odor. Now the other Talth, who is the master of the ceremonies, goes straight from the house to the lodge, and with him the one, or the two girls. These girl are not always a Talth, but sometimes one of them is and has the whole secrets of the order, even to the real name of God. These girls must be born of the highest birth to even help. The master, when he goes in, talks or prays while the girl or girls sweep it and place things in shape, which keeps them busy, if there is only one girl, she does not have time to leave the lodge. About nine o’clock the Talth with all the workers come out in line, single file, with a bunch of wood, each one with his bundle on his shoulder, all singing, and this in the night or evening sounds most beautiful, as it is most perfect in time and tune and makes one feel the love for the great Creator of all things.

When they arrive with the wood, all lay in around the top of the house or lodge, then either one of the two Talth takes some inside of the lodge and makes a small fire inside. The floor of the lodge is made of marble, and they have a large bowl made of marble in which is placed clean, pure water, and in this water is placed the roots walth-pay. Now when the time is ready, all will come inside of the lodge and bath in the marble bowl with the walth-pay in it. This bowl is kept secreted and only the Talth knows where it is; the master of the lodge has taken the bowl out from its hiding place and put it in its proper place, and put the water and walth-pay roots in it. Now when the workers and the two Talth comes with the wood and after the fire is started, the two Talth remain and all the others go outside, and the three Talth bath themselves, also the one or two girls, as the case maybe. If one of them is not a Talth then she too has to go outside. Then the Talth go through all the secret part of the work in the lodge, while the girl that is a Talth remains inside of the lodge, and takes part in the secret workings. The lodge is now opened, and all the workers are invited to come inside. Some of the workers are Talth, sometimes nearly all of them, if not, they are high born. They all wash themselves in the marble bowl and all have the Indian comb, the men’s being longer than the ones the girls have. After washing, each one washes and combs their hair until it is clean and glossy, leaving the hair hang down loosely, using the combs to stroke the hair back, and careful not to touch it with their hands.

The men are perfectly naked, while the girls have a maple bark dress fastened around the waist, hanging down to the knees, otherwise they were nude. Now the master takes his place in the south-east corner of the lodge, sitting on his Indian chair and in his hand he holds his staff, or rod, which is the stalk of the walth-pay. This staff is the stalk which grows from the herb or root that God made women from in the first creation, and the staff is so old that it is black with age. The next one in authority sits in the north-east corner of the lodge, while the third one sits in the north-west corner of the lodge. The lodge sits north and south, the entrance is at the south end, the west side being left dark. The Master in managing the ceremonies, has a helper (this was my part and the emblem I wear is the Dove) who sits on the right hand side of the Master, and if there is no girl that is a Talth, then a man that is a Talth has to fill the place, and this one has to place and move the chair of the Master as he rises and sits down, and if there is only one girl, then she has to preform a double duty of removing and placing the chairs of all three officers of the lodge, and when this happens is keep her on the move all night until five o’clock in the morning; when she comes out very tired, yet light hearted and very proud of her birth, her standing and the great knowledge she has of the secret history of her people. Very few there be that has ever been admitted to her high plane, and none has ever excelled her. She knows that she and all the other Talth are full blooded Klamath, and no mixture of any other blood in their veins. This secret organization dates back to the very beginning of God’s creation of man and woman, as this staff of the walth-pay is what God made woman out of. This walth-pay they have preserved in this land in selected places and it still grows here, and we still use it in all of our secret work. It only grows in a few places, and all of us know where to find it. They brought this with them, from the old land, and on down through the ages to commemorate the first creation of woman.

I have offered to go to the lodge and teach one or more when there was enough of the Talth left to do so, but now there are none left, and they could not pick out a girl that was eligible to give it to, until now there is no chance left, and what ever is done towards the meeting of this old and ancient order is only a farce, and done by the low births, the low class and the slave class. When I first told my father that I was going to marry a white man, my people objected, saying that if I had children they could not be admitted to the order. It was then I told them to select one that I might teach the secret part of the lodge to. It is sad for me to write of the inside working of the lodge, and who can blame me. My people are passing away, being absorbed by the white race.

Now all are inside of the lodge and they give the whole night to chanting and praying to God, to please the Creator, to give them health, wealth and to watch over them, keeping them safe from disease. They keep this up until about five o’clock in the morning and then they all go down to the house where the dance is to be held, and this house is called Ah-pure-way. They build a small fire and place some roots on it. Now during this time the wealthy families have moved from their homes, bring their wives sisters and daughters to cook and prepare food.

The first dance is hurriedly gotten ready and then the dancers come up to the house, going in and taking their places. The dance starts and will last for ten days. As soon as the first dance is over the Talth go to their homes to eat and rest, and the tired but proud little girl goes to her home and eats, after which she takes a much needed sleep. All have bathed, which they never fail to do, and dressed their hair and combed it cleanly. There are five villages that take part in the Po-lick-las dance, being the same ones that took part in the White Deer Skin Dance. All Indians are invited to come, rich or poor, from any and all tribes, from far off and near by. Far away tribes are looked after, fed and asked to take part in the dance, even if they cannot speak their language. They will motion to them and show them how and give them full protection at all times and under any circumstances, so that they may enjoy it to the fullest. This is the time that the very poor and slave class of our own people are made jolly and contented, proud to be known and called a Klamath Indian. They are here allowed, both men and women, to put in whatever they may possess that is of value, that is used to dance with. The wealthy ones that own lands, hunting territory, fishing places, slaves, flints, white deer-skins, fisher skins, otter skins, silver gray fox skins and fine dresses made of dressed deer skins, with fringes or shells knotted and worked in the most beautiful styles, that clink and jingle as they walk and makes one have a feeling of respect and admiration for them. The eyes will strain to look on this most pleasant sight, which can never leave one’s memory that has seen it in its flowery days.