--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Lindblad, Victor collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 7 published: 1926-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Lindblad, Victor, “An American Indian Pageant,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 7 (May 1926): 649–651." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2907unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2907unse start_page: 649 end_page: 651 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1926-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2907unse publication_year: 1926 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1926, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # An American Indian Pageant AN AMERICAN INDIAN PAGEANT By Victor Lindblad, Scout Executive, Cache Valley Council This pageant was presented by the Boy Scouts of the Cache Valley Council at the Dansante Auditorium, Logan, Utah, on Thursday and Friday, March 4 and 5, 1926. Director Ralph Hubbard, em- minent student and authority on Indian craft, was in charge. One hundred thirty-five boys danced in the pageant. The scouts were carefully trained for two weeks by Professor Hubbard before the staging of the pageant. All the performers were local boy scouts. The following program was carried out: 1 . Tribal Procession. 2. Sioux Circle Dance. A social dance taken from Sioux and Crows. Women and children, young warriors and elderly people alike, all join in this dance, which consists of several steps, accompanied by social songs. The exact interpretation is not known. 3. Ojibway Scalp Dance. Performed by two large circles of dancers to the tom-tom. In this dance the boastful warrior acts out the story of his achievement. The steps used in this dance are mostly of war origin such as the "Sioux hunting" step and certain stealthy advances supposedly directed to- ward a wounded enemy who lies in the grass ahead of the party. 4. Devil Dance. A young warrior has defied the discipline of his camp; in other words, is what we call a naughty boy. His taunts and threats eventually become unbearable to his people, at the end of which he is killed by a spear thrown from the onlooking crowd. A victory dance by three warriors is performed over his body, after which his implements and trophies are taken by these three performers. His spirit is thought to be earthbound. However, a "blood brother," which means a friend who has taken a vow to help at all times, which friend happens to have been in Spirit Land for several Winters, comes to the battle field and rescues the lost soul, taking him to the Shadow Land, at the edge of which a group of spirit relatives greet him. 5. Sun Dance. Large circle of dancers are called into action by a wor- shipful leader in their midst. Evolutions of this dance work to a gradual pitch of enthusiasm when a Black Spirit suddenly appears among them, terrifying them with such vicious conduct that they fade off from the field with shaking moccasins. Courageous ones attempt to come back on the field, hoping to overcome this spirit, but are unable to withstand his frightful power. A pure spirit answers the prayer and delivers them from the evil. 6. Great Plains War Dance. In which a large mass of warriors begin deliberately and sedately, gradually working up to topnotch fervor, after which there is an anticline in their emotions until only two warriors are left on the field. At a signal from these two, the entire dancing body divides into two opposing forces, who advance upon each other in threatening battle forma- tion. A mad stampede closes the event. 7. Diminutive War Dance. An ambitious boy who has watched his elders in their dances aspires to the same art, but realizes at the same time that it is decidedly dangerous for one so young. The boy fears that his dancing AMERICAN INDIAN PAGEANT 651 will call up the very spirits that inhabit the field when the tired warriors are present, and after dancing some moments, is aware that this is just what has happened. Fighting the spirits off as best he can, he flees from the field in a mad panic. 8. Elk Mystery, taken from the Ogalalla Sioux. This ceremony was performed in ancient times when the game had become scarce. It was done by several groups occupying a mile of level land, and because of its athletic nature was done by the strongest of the young men. It really amounts to an endurance dance. 9. Ghost Dance. Done under the leadership of Medicine Men. This dance is sometimes called the Buffalo Ghost Dance, inasmuch as there was a connection between its origin and the extinction of the American bison. Between the years 1888 and 1892, this dance swept like a religious revival over the Indian Reservations of North America. There was a belief that the old-time warriors and the herds of buffalo would return. A prophet named Wovaka taught a wonderfully peaceful and con- structive doctrine, he having given rise to this revival. However, in the dances, the performers seemed to fall in trances, at which time their bodies are supposed to be left untenanted, the spirits having wandered to the Shadow Land. A spirit appears among the fallen dancers who would stay to help them realize their great prayer, but who at the same time being all wise, finds himself drawn back to the Shadow Lands, leaving the devoted ones to their unfortunate fate. Things As They Are Take things, lad, the way you find them, Things familiar, things astrange, Things contrary — never mind them,. It is you — not they — must change. Learn to take the days that come, lad, Rain or shine, just live it through, Wind and cloud — there's always some, lad, But the smiling's up to you. Take your friends just as they are, lad, Frail or faulty — so are you — Some must make and some must mar, lad, Keep your friendship ringing true! Learn to take life in its measure, Every moment big or small, Be its quota pain or pleasure, Take it, lad, and live it all! Mesa, Arizona BERTHA A. K.LEINMAN