The Oglala light. [volume], March 01, 1908, Image 13

About The Oglala light. [volume] ([Pine Ridge, S.D.]) 190?-19??

Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

                
of the Indian has been my suna
mer work for a number of years*
During this time I have met eth
nologists, archaeologists, lingui
sts, historians, and artists, but
none of them seemed to come so
close to the Indian as he so close
that he seems a part of their
life. A rugged old chief who had
been a leader of his people for a
lifetime once asked Mr. Curtis:
"How did you learn to be just
like the Indians?"
He will discuss religious topics
with a group of the old men
they will pass the pipe arround
the circle and say. "He is just
like us, he knows about the Great
Mystery."
There have been many hard
ships in Mr. Curtis's work beside
dealings with the Indians. I have
a keen recollection of our first
camp among the Oglallas. At
dark a terrific strom struck the
camp. The tent poles broke and
the tents flatened to the ground.
Five Indian ponies in the neigh
borhood were killed by lighten
ing. At another time the equip
ment wagon got stuck in the
mud in the mille of the White
River and had to be taken apart
before it could be got out. To
the traveler such experiences
are not so serious as to the pho
tographer, for the results of
many months of hard work may
be lost in a moment by a care
less driver. And these monts of
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work are neceessary, for get
really acquainted with the In
dian one must live with him in:
his own oountry. Elsewhere
one Indian is much like another.
At home racial and tribal dis
tinctions appear. Environment,
of course, has most to do with
i s e I n i a n s a o n e
shores of the Pacific Ocean de
pend upon the sea for food, and,
naturally, the sea also gives
them their trrditions, and figures
in their religion. Two hundred
miles eastward, over the Cascade
Mountains, the tribe knows of
the sea only in vague stores.
Their food, like their traditions,
comes from the mountains and
plains, the river and forests.
The bear, used as food in one
place, is sacred in another the
snake repulsive almsot every
where, is in the Southwest a
prized accessory to a prefound
religious ceremony.
At one time last summer, on
the plains of Dakota, a large
rattlesnake was encountered
near camp. Instantly everyone,
including the Sioux and Crow
guides, gave earnest chase and
killed the reptile. When Curtis
heard of it, he asked that they
kill no more, for he had receiv
ed the unusual honor of being
made a priest of the snake reli
gion by the Indians in the South
west. With native inmates he'
had fasted nine days before be-
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74*
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