第36章

The Maidens'Feast

THERE were many peculiar cus-toms among the Indians of an earlier period,some of which tended to strengthen the charac-ter of the people and preserve their purity.Perhaps the most unique of these was the annual "feast of maidens."The casual observer would scarcely understand the full force and meaning of this ceremony.

The last one that I ever witnessed was given at Fort Ellis,Manitoba,about the year 1871.Upon the table land just back of the old trading post and fully a thousand feet above the Assiniboine river,surrounded by groves,there was a natural amphitheatre.At one end stood the old fort where since 1830the northern tribes had come to replenish their powder horns and lead sacks and to dispose of their pelts.

In this spot there was a reunion of all the rene-gade Sioux on the one hand and of the Assini-boines and Crees,the Canadian tribes,on the other.They were friendly.The matter was not formally arranged,but it was usual for all the tribes to meet here in the month of July.

The Hudson Bay Company always had a good supply of red,blue,green and white blankets,also cloth of brilliant dye,so that when their summer festival occurred the Indians did not lack gayly colored garments.Paints were bought by them at pleasure.Short sleeves were the fashion in their buckskin dresses,and beads and porcupine quills were the principal decorations.

When circumstances are favorable,the Indians are the happiest people in the world.There were entertainments every single day,which everybody had the fullest opportunity to see and enjoy.If anything,the poorest profited the most by these occasions,because a feature in each case was the giving away of savage wealth to the needy in honor of the event.At any public affair,involv-ing the pride and honor of a prominent family,there must always be a distribution of valuable presents.

One bright summer morning,while we were still at our meal of jerked buffalo meat,we heard the herald of the Wahpeton band upon his calico pony as he rode around our circle.

"White Eagle's daughter,the maiden Red Star,invites all the maidens of all the tribes to come and partake of her feast.It will be in the Wahpeton camp,before the sun reaches the middle of the sky.All pure maidens are invited.Red Star also invites the young men to be present,to see that no unworthy maiden should join in the feast."The herald soon completed the rounds of the different camps,and it was not long before the girls began to gather in great numbers.The fort was fully alive to the interest of these savage en-tertainments.This particular feast was looked upon as a semi-sacred affair.It would be dese-cration for any to attend who was not perfectly virtuous.Hence it was regarded as an opportune time for the young men to satisfy themselves as to who were the virtuous maids of the tribe.

There were apt to be surprises before the end of the day.Any young man was permitted to challenge any maiden whom he knew to be un-worthy.But woe to him who could not prove his case.It meant little short of death to the man who endeavored to disgrace a woman without cause.

The youths had a similar feast of their own,in which the eligibles were those who had never spoken to a girl in the way of courtship.It was considered ridiculous so to do before attaining some honor as a warrior,and the novices prided themselves greatly upon their self control.