(No) 
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ON THE ETHNOGRAPHY AND PHILOLOGY OF THE 
Abortion is produced, to a greater or less extent, among all the Indians. When a 
woman does not wish to give birth to a live child, she takes a stick which is used for dig- 
ging the pomme blanche, or prairie turnip, and presses the end of it against the abdomen, 
causing the death of the child in utero. It is very seldom that there is any fatal result to 
the mother from this operation. 
I can find no reliable evidence that any of the prairie Indians are especially neglectful 
of their aged people. When they become so old that they cannot walk, they are not left 
to perish, but are provided with horses or a travais, and cared for until they die. There 
may be cases in which there is a want of filial affection, but the contrary is the general 
rule. So long as a chief can hunt and go to war, he can maintain his influence in his 
tribe, but as soon as he fails through age to lead his people to battle, his son takes his 
place, or some other man who, by acts of bravery, may have elevated himself to the posi- 
tion of chief. 
It is not so uncommon for the Indians to have deformed children as one would suppose 
at first glance. ‘The vicissitudes of a nomadic life usually destroy such children very soon 
after birth. ‘They are usually cared for in time of plenty, but when food is scarce they 
are allowed to starve. I was told by the Indians themselves, that many are born deaf and 
dumb, and blind, An instance occurred of a woman giving birth to four children at a 
time, two of which were blind. I saw a very pretty half-breed girl among the Crows, 
who had been deaf and dumb from her birth, otherwise she apppeared bright and intelli- 
gent. 
There are a great number of dances among the Indians, the most important of which 
is the sun dance. The names of a portion are given below. Oh-i-om, the Sun Dance, . 
“to dance and look at the sun.” The principal medicine-man gathers all the warriors in 
the village together at a certain place, and each one makes an offering to the sun, and 
then they all dance and beat the drum from two to four days, or as long as they can en- 
dure without eating or drinking. They do not sing, but whistle a continuous note on a 
bone instrument, tap the drum, and dance. They also fold the skin in different parts of 
the body, piercing a hole through it with a sharp knife, insert a stick, and fasten the stick 
with a cord to a pole above their heads, or the limb of a tree. They then endeavor to 
break the stick or cord by the pressure of their weight, at the same time giving away a 
horse, or some other equally valuable present. The fold of skin sometimes tears away, 
producing a most painful wound. They do this that they may be successful in all their 
undertakings, have plenty of buffalo, kill numbers of their enemies, have no sickness, &c. 
The commencement of this ceremony is brought about by some one.in the village having 
a dream, which informs him that the sun controls all the affairs of life. He then bids all 
the people to prepare for its performance. The same dance occurs among the Dakotas, 
and is called by them Wi-wai’-ay-i-wa’-¢i. 
