May, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsev. i8r 



rection in which this change presumably has proceeded furthest, is in 

 the general setting of the ceremony. Thus buffalo hide tipis, with their 

 brilliantly painted heraldic devices and attending poles or tripods 

 bearing medicine bundles or shields, and the travois, have been re- 

 placed by canvas tipis, or even occasionally canvas tents, while ac- 

 companying modern tipis or tents are wagons or carriages, which 

 have entirely replaced the travois. Another direction in which there 

 has been great change is in the costume of the participants, and 

 even to a greater extent, of the spectators; buckskin and buffalo 

 robes, in both cases, having been almost entirely replaced by gar- 

 ments obtained from the trader. 



The greatest change in the ceremony itself is, unquestionably, 

 the practically total absence of forms of torture and the shortening 

 which has been gradually taking" place, through many years, of 

 the period of fasting from four to two days. There is reason to be- 

 lieve that formerly torture, in one form or another, during the Sun 

 Dance, was extremely common, so common, indeed, that observers 

 were often ready to believe that it formed the fundamental element of 

 the drama. Coupled with the disappearance of the torture, has 

 been the abolition of the custom of piercing the children's ears 

 during the ceremony. 



That the ceremony is now devoid of certain minor features, some 

 of considerable interest, there can also be no question. Thus children 

 no longer make images or effigies of clay, especially those of the buf- 

 falo, and deposit them at the base of the center-pole. There is no 

 longer the boisterous hilarity and wild enthusiasm which seemed to 

 have characterized the older performances. Bands of boys and young 

 men no longer terrorize the camp at night, shooting every dog 

 they encounter and frightening the women and children. Young 

 men no longer seize the younger boys and compel them to submit 

 to many practices by which formerly they must have suffered. It is 

 reasonable to believe, also, that with the disappearance of these more 

 strenuous forms of amusement, there disappeared also much of the 

 more harmless forms of amusement in the camp. The participants, 

 presumably, are more sober, give rein less freely to strong emotions, 

 which formerly found vent in many dances, social or otherwise, 

 especially those of love, war, etc. That the ceremony, however, still 

 forms an important part in the social life of the tribe is evident. The 

 Cheyenne, no less than other communities, of whatsoever color or 

 nationality, require an opportunity, at least once a year, to exercise 

 various social functions, and especially to give exercise to the inborn 

 human desire to assemble in large numbers. This opportunity the 



