DENIO] 



THE ASSINIBOIN 491 



They would, to please any missionary, give a tacit consent to his 

 creed, whatever it was. Knowing him to be an educated and superior 

 man, not striving after personal gain, they would be induced to give 

 it a trial, but would continue their own ceremonies at the same time 

 in secret, and any failure of their expectations would be blamed on 

 the missionary. They might actually appear to him converted by 

 outward show, but their minds would undergo no change, unless it 

 was to become more confused and skeptical. This is the reason why 

 all attempts at reformation should be made with their children. 

 Abstract truth will not admit of general application, without taking 

 into consideration the existing state of things. The necessity of law 

 must be felt before it would avail; their ignorance made manifest 

 before truth could be introduced; a moral sense of justice and of their 

 depravity implanted before moral rectitude can be expected. 



Horses sacrificed on an Indian's grave are an offering to the Great 

 Mystery to conduct the soul of the departed immediately to the 

 south, where the Indian Paradise is said to be situated, and also in- 

 cludes a desire that the Great Mystery should supply the place of 

 the deceased parent, as a father and protector. Dogs and other 

 animals that are killed in sacrifice, are eaten by those invited, and 

 only appear to be part of the ceremony, not of the sacrifice. The 

 entrails of the animal thus killed are neither eaten nor burned, 

 but thrown away as on any other occasion. 



In eating these feasts small bits are thrown on the ground with 

 these words : " This to Wakohda to keep us from harm," " This 

 to the Sun," " This to the Thunder," or to some of their dead 

 relatives, and these ejaculations are uttered in a very low voice, 

 not always audible. They offer no human sacrifices to Wakorida, 

 neither do their traditions mention their forefathers to have done so. 

 Though enemies are tortured to death in many ways, yet it is only 

 to satisfy their revenge and thirst for savage glory. Within the last 

 year several of these acts have been committed a short distance from 

 this place, which to convey an idea of we may mention here. Five 

 Blackfeet were caught stealing horses from the Crow village in the 

 spring of 1853, then at the mouth of the Yellowstone River, and 

 the enemies were pursued a mile or so, when they took refuge in a 

 cluster of bushes. The Crows surrounded them and by constant 

 firing killed all except one, who was shot through the leg. This man 

 they took out alive, scalped, and cut his hands off, gathered their 

 boys around who fired into his body with powder, striking him in 

 the face with his own scalp, and knocking on his head with stones 

 and tomahawks until he died. Afterwards the five bodies were 

 carried to camp, the heads, hands, feet, and privates cut off, paraded 

 on poles, and thrown around the camp, some of which found their 



