MIIOKEY] 



END OF THE SUN DANCE 



359 



bold the sun dance, when it was stopped by agent Adams, backed by 

 military force. It bas not been held since in the tribe. Botli calen- 

 dars tell tbe same story in the tigure of tbe medicine pole standing 

 outside tbe completed medicine lodge and decorations. Set-t'au has 

 also tbe square iuclosure to indicate tbat be remained at 

 bome, wbile Anko, by means of a row of circles, notes 

 tbe occurrence of anotber grass payment. 



Tbe Kiowa bad decided to celebrate tbeir usual annual 

 sun dance at tbe Pilio or bend in tbe Wasbita, wbere 

 tbey bad already beld it twice before, wben tbe agent 

 determined to prevent it. Tbey were not disposed to 

 yield, and bad assembled in tbeir great tribal circle of 

 tipis, witb tbe center pole of tbe medicine lodge already 

 erected, having an old buffalo robe in lieu of a buffalo 

 head and skin at the top, when word came tbat tbe fig. i88— summLr 

 troops were on tbeir way to stop tbe dance, having been isso — Uuiiu- 



j n T-< tri ■ 11 i' 1 1 ^ ishedsiindanre. 



sent from I'ort Sill tor that purpose by request of tbe 

 agent. The news was brought to Stumbling bear, who bad remained 

 at bome on account of the death of his son, by Quanah, chief of tbe 

 Comancbe, who advised him to send word to the Kiowa to stop, as tbe 

 soldiers would kill them and tbeir horses if tbej' persisted. Stum- 

 bling-bear thereupon sent two young men to tbe sun dance 

 camp to tell tbe Kiowa to disperse and go bome, which, 

 after considerable heated discussion, tbey finally did, leav- 

 ing tbe unfinished medicine lodge standing. In tbe mean- 

 time the troops had arrived at tbe agency, but the Indians 

 I having gone bome, they returned to tbeir post. 



Concerning this aflair the agent says in bis annual report: 

 There lias been uothing of special note during the year, with the 

 exception of the excitement raised in connection with the proposed 

 sun dance. That matter having been fully laid before the department, 

 it is hardly necessary to say more (Report, 112). 



On the same subject tbe report of tbe Secretary of War 

 says : 



The commanding officer at Fort Sill rejiorted July 19 that the In- 

 dian agent had notified him of the intention of the Indians to hold a 

 medicine dance, and had asked for troops to prevent them from doing 

 this. He was directed to be guided by instructions of last year on the 

 subject, and consequently three troops of cavalry proceeded to Anadarko, Indian 

 Territory, on July 20, , . . but the Indians having abandoned the plan of holding 

 their dance upon the arrival of the troops, the latter, after remaining at the point for 

 a few days, were withdrawn ( War, 7 >. 



Fig. Igi'— Win- 

 ter 189U-91 — 

 Sittiug-buli 

 comes: A'pi- 

 atau: Boys 

 frozen. 



WINTER 1890-91 



P(i-<i')if/ya Tsiin-de Sai, "Winter that Sitting-bull came." This refers 

 to tbe first coming among tbe Kiowa of Sitting-bull, the Arapabo 

 prophet of the ghost dance, in tbe fall of 1890. Tbe human figure 



