CHAPTER XI.
THE LODGE DANCE.
THE white man calls this dance the jump dance and this has caused the Indians to call it thus when they speak of it in the white mans tongue, but we call in our language Wah-neck-wel-la-gaw, and which has no meaning as to a dance. This dance is held at the Pec-wan village, and it is about one mile up the river from where the “White Deer-Skin Dance” is held. This festival is held one year after the White Deer Skin Dance, or is held alternately. This is the most sacred festival that we have, and like the fish dam, we start preparations for the festival some two months ahead and all differences and disputes are settled before this starts. If there are any who can not or will not settle, they must not come to see or take part in the festival, and by this the reader can see that this once powerful and numerous tribe of Indians, by making these complete settlements among all of their people once a year, one year for the Fish Dam and the next year the Lodge Dance. And could be managed by the High Priests and be well governed without the aid of a chief, as they never had a chief. The Pec-wan village was in olden times a very large and wealthy village. This is where the lodge of the lower Klamaths is situated, and this lodge and the house where all the tools of the Talth are kept, is the only one now at this writing left of the whole tribe. In the times when the white man first came there was one of these lodges at Big Lagoon, which we call Ah-ca-tah, and one at the mouth of Redwood Creek which we call Orick, one at the mouth of Klamath River which we call Reck-woy, and one at Pec-wan. Four of these lodges belonging to the lower division of the Klamath River, and the upper rivers had a number of lodges, but there is not one of them left. There areno Indians left to tell of them, or how and what they were used for, so making it at are time only one that is left, and only two of the Talth are left to tell of the use and meaning of the grand good that come from them to the proud people. When all is ready the three Talth start very early in the morning and select the timbers for putting up a complete new frame of the lodge, not leaving a single piece of the wood-work of the old lodge, but replacing it with new. Upon their return from selecting the timbers the Talth then go into the house, where the tools are kept and take them out. Those that are used for getting post and the frame with all the sidings, they put these in a very nicely knit sack which is made of good and lasting material and kept for this purpose, then they take it on the outside of the house and leave it there for the night. Now the Talth return to their homes and family, always bathing themselves, for they are as near perfect in their cleanliness as it is given human being to be. They go into their homes with smiles for their wives and children, and all others that they may come in touch with. These Talth are very firm in their manners, very witty in jokes, but slow to speak in matters of decision. After supper they retire to their sweat-house to sleep. There they first take a smoke and then go to sleep. Now the ones that are the workers have already been selected for getting out the material to put up the wood part of the lodge, and the whole of the work must be done in one day. Every piece is made to fit in its place, where it is gotten out in the woods, so that when it is brought in, which is done the same day, all fits into its place. The whole structure is set up without the use of tools; no noise and no words are spoken, only by the three Talth, and by them only in a low voice.
Those that work to get out these timbers must all be of good birth, not necessarily of the highest birth, but of good birth of the wealthy and well-to-do class. Some of the ones of the highest births are not considered to be of the right minds, with good behavior to be made a Talth. No one of the low births or slaves are allowed to take part in the making of the old lodge, Talth-ur-girk. We have degrees in this lodge work, some are allowed to go in and learn a small part of it and are never given any more, while other are allowed to learn a greater part, and they are never given the true name of God.
Photo by ERICSONTHE LODGE PREPARATION HOUSE, AND SWEAT-HOUSE, AT PEC-WAN, ON THE KLAMATH RIVER.
Photo by ERICSON
THE LODGE PREPARATION HOUSE, AND SWEAT-HOUSE, AT PEC-WAN, ON THE KLAMATH RIVER.
This highest marriage takes twelve strings of cheek, twelve pieces to each string, and out of the few marriages there was very few that was good to be made a Talth, and by this they were compelled to choose from the girls as well as the boys. The ones that were right for the Talth, to keep from loosing the workings of the order, as well as to keep the sacred name of God from being lost. If through famine or epidemic it would be lost in some of the places or lodges, they could get some that were Talth to come from Ah-ca-tah, Orick, Reck-woy or from some of the lodges from the Pech-ic-las, so that they could fix up the lodges and take some of the ones of the right birth and initiate in to the secret workings of the order, and make them Talth, and build the order up again. These things have happened many times in there long history and occupation of this land. Now all the old lumber that is taken from the lodge when it is to be made anew, is taken to the house which the Talth use for there preparations, and to keep the working tools in, and there it is used to renew the weak parts, and the rest is used for fire wood in this house, so that none of it is wasted.
The dance, after everything is fixed and all in readiness, will last for ten days, and when all is ready the Talth and all the workers, which are called Wer-ner-ger-ee, go to their different homes or friends and eat their supper, and after this is finished, all the workers with two of the Talth go out and gather wood, which is the small limbs and twigs of the huckleberry, which we make use of by keeping a small fire through the night in the lodge, and on the fire we burn incense roots which give off a pleasant odor. Now the other Talth, who is the master of the ceremonies, goes straight from the house to the lodge, and with him the one, or the two girls. These girl are not always a Talth, but sometimes one of them is and has the whole secrets of the order, even to the real name of God. These girls must be born of the highest birth to even help. The master, when he goes in, talks or prays while the girl or girls sweep it and place things in shape, which keeps them busy, if there is only one girl, she does not have time to leave the lodge. About nine o’clock the Talth with all the workers come out in line, single file, with a bunch of wood, each one with his bundle on his shoulder, all singing, and this in the night or evening sounds most beautiful, as it is most perfect in time and tune and makes one feel the love for the great Creator of all things.
When they arrive with the wood, all lay in around the top of the house or lodge, then either one of the two Talth takes some inside of the lodge and makes a small fire inside. The floor of the lodge is made of marble, and they have a large bowl made of marble in which is placed clean, pure water, and in this water is placed the roots walth-pay. Now when the time is ready, all will come inside of the lodge and bath in the marble bowl with the walth-pay in it. This bowl is kept secreted and only the Talth knows where it is; the master of the lodge has taken the bowl out from its hiding place and put it in its proper place, and put the water and walth-pay roots in it. Now when the workers and the two Talth comes with the wood and after the fire is started, the two Talth remain and all the others go outside, and the three Talth bath themselves, also the one or two girls, as the case maybe. If one of them is not a Talth then she too has to go outside. Then the Talth go through all the secret part of the work in the lodge, while the girl that is a Talth remains inside of the lodge, and takes part in the secret workings. The lodge is now opened, and all the workers are invited to come inside. Some of the workers are Talth, sometimes nearly all of them, if not, they are high born. They all wash themselves in the marble bowl and all have the Indian comb, the men’s being longer than the ones the girls have. After washing, each one washes and combs their hair until it is clean and glossy, leaving the hair hang down loosely, using the combs to stroke the hair back, and careful not to touch it with their hands.
The men are perfectly naked, while the girls have a maple bark dress fastened around the waist, hanging down to the knees, otherwise they were nude. Now the master takes his place in the south-east corner of the lodge, sitting on his Indian chair and in his hand he holds his staff, or rod, which is the stalk of the walth-pay. This staff is the stalk which grows from the herb or root that God made women from in the first creation, and the staff is so old that it is black with age. The next one in authority sits in the north-east corner of the lodge, while the third one sits in the north-west corner of the lodge. The lodge sits north and south, the entrance is at the south end, the west side being left dark. The Master in managing the ceremonies, has a helper (this was my part and the emblem I wear is the Dove) who sits on the right hand side of the Master, and if there is no girl thatis a Talth, then a man that is a Talth has to fill the place, and this one has to place and move the chair of the Master as he rises and sits down, and if there is only one girl, then she has to preform a double duty of removing and placing the chairs of all three officers of the lodge, and when this happens is keep her on the move all night until five o’clock in the morning; when she comes out very tired, yet light hearted and very proud of her birth, her standing and the great knowledge she has of the secret history of her people. Very few there be that has ever been admitted to her high plane, and none has ever excelled her. She knows that she and all the other Talth are full blooded Klamath, and no mixture of any other blood in their veins. This secret organization dates back to the very beginning of God’s creation of man and woman, as this staff of the walth-pay is what God made woman out of. This walth-pay they have preserved in this land in selected places and it still grows here, and we still use it in all of our secret work. It only grows in a few places, and all of us know where to find it. They brought this with them, from the old land, and on down through the ages to commemorate the first creation of woman.
I have offered to go to the lodge and teach one or more when there was enough of the Talth left to do so, but now there are none left, and they could not pick out a girl that was eligible to give it to, until now there is no chance left, and what ever is done towards the meeting of this old and ancient order is only a farce, and done by the low births, the low class and the slave class. When I first told my father that I was going to marry a white man, my people objected, saying that if I had children they could not be admitted to the order. It was then I told them to select one that I might teach the secret part of the lodge to. It is sad for me to write of the inside working of the lodge, and who can blame me. My people are passing away, being absorbed by the white race.
Now all are inside of the lodge and they give the whole night to chanting and praying to God, to please the Creator, to give them health, wealth and to watch over them, keeping them safe from disease. They keep this up until about five o’clock in the morning and then they all go down to the house where the dance is to be held, and this house is called Ah-pure-way. They build a small fire and place some roots on it. Now during thistime the wealthy families have moved from their homes, bring their wives sisters and daughters to cook and prepare food.
The first dance is hurriedly gotten ready and then the dancers come up to the house, going in and taking their places. The dance starts and will last for ten days. As soon as the first dance is over the Talth go to their homes to eat and rest, and the tired but proud little girl goes to her home and eats, after which she takes a much needed sleep. All have bathed, which they never fail to do, and dressed their hair and combed it cleanly. There are five villages that take part in the Po-lick-las dance, being the same ones that took part in the White Deer Skin Dance. All Indians are invited to come, rich or poor, from any and all tribes, from far off and near by. Far away tribes are looked after, fed and asked to take part in the dance, even if they cannot speak their language. They will motion to them and show them how and give them full protection at all times and under any circumstances, so that they may enjoy it to the fullest. This is the time that the very poor and slave class of our own people are made jolly and contented, proud to be known and called a Klamath Indian. They are here allowed, both men and women, to put in whatever they may possess that is of value, that is used to dance with. The wealthy ones that own lands, hunting territory, fishing places, slaves, flints, white deer-skins, fisher skins, otter skins, silver gray fox skins and fine dresses made of dressed deer skins, with fringes or shells knotted and worked in the most beautiful styles, that clink and jingle as they walk and makes one have a feeling of respect and admiration for them. The eyes will strain to look on this most pleasant sight, which can never leave one’s memory that has seen it in its flowery days.
They take the scalp of the woodpecker, which they sew together from sixty to one hundred in number, on a piece of nicely dressed buck skin, the edges also being buck skin, it looks like a plug hat. They let the ends hang as streamers at the back of the head. These are valued at from one to two hundred dollars, having red and white fringes, which makes them look very pretty. These head dresses are called Rah-gay and the scalps are called cheese, whether one or many of them. They have great strings of the long hollow shells, called cheek andturk-tum, around their necks, hanging down over the breasts to the waist. This, the most sacred of all their festivals, is held in a house and more of their wealth is displayed at this time than on any other occasion. The wealth of the whole tribe of the Klamath Indians, even the Hoopas and Smith River, and any other tribe can put in and help in this dance. Here in this dance the rich ones will turn over to the poorest of them their display of wealth and go away, leaving it in their care, our people do not use feathers but very little, less than the white people.
In the evening of the second days dancing, the Talth go back to the lodge and the Master with the girl who is a Talth, go into the lodge, and the Master puts fresh clean water into the bowl, pounds and places the walth-pay roots into it and it is ready for use. The other girls remaining in the preparation house or goes to other parts to preform when they have things fixed for them. The Master gives prayers to God while the other two Talth in authority will take the same ones, the workers, and go out for more wood, the same as the first time, coming in about nine o’clock, all in single file, led by the two Talth singing the song as they come and place the wood the same as before. Now the two Talth go inside and the lodge is opened, the Talth girl helping until all is in readiness, then the workers are called in and the Talth each take their place, the Master with his staff of the walth-pay, and the girl in her place by the Master and the workings of the lodge are gone through with as before, and kept up all night until five o’clock in the morning, when they come out and go to their homes and camps to eat. Now the dancers take up the dancing and the whole thing moves along smoothly, without a thing to mar the good times. The Talth do not take any part in the dancing, and are but seldom seen to take a look at it, and the Master does not come to see any part of it, but if he does, he just passes on, laughing joking and jesting with all the men and women and they are more than glad to see him.
The Talth call each other brothers, and the girls sisters, and the word brother and sister is used a great deal among these people.
When the lodge is working in its secret part of the order, there is a guard stationed at the door on the outside to keep others from hearing or entering. In the evening of every secondday they open the lodge until the dance has run for eight days, when they open the lodge in the same way, in the evening for the fifth and last time. The Master and the girl go into the lodge, while the two Talth and the workers go and get the wood, coming back at nine o’clock, then the same performance is gone through with, ending about five o’clock in the morning, then all the worker are expelled from the lodge and go to the dance house and make the fire, burn the incense roots, sweep and clean the house for the last two days of the festival. The three Talth and the girl remain in the lodge and finish the winding up ceremonies of the lodge for the dance, after which the bowl, staff and other emblems and tools are placed in their secret hiding places so that them who are Talth know where to find them, then they come out and go to their homes to eat, sleep and rest. Now the last two days of the dance commences, and the finest of dresses and the most valuable of articles are used, all the riches are brought out, showing which are the most wealthy of family, some of which have long records dating back for generations, telling how the family first started in prominence, and up to the present time.This festival is held for the purpose and equality of the whole people together, the rich, the poor and the slave, make themselves come together in peace and harmony as one family and to make the poor and the slave feel that there is some good to live for, and more and above all to make them warriors, that none dare scorn. That if any other tribe dare to violate the laws of humanity, such as to mutilate the dead by scalping and other ways, which the Klamaths would not tolerate for a moment, and by the Talth to keep and preserve their old and ancient teachings of the sacred order which has been handed down to them through the ages, which they say has never been, through it all, down to where it is now. They say that a number of times it has been low, yet there was enough to revive and bring it back to its proper place, so as not to loose it in its secret parts and keep it up. At the end of ten days the dance, late in the evening closes and the people scatter in all directions, while the rich families, that have so many women to help in preparing the food, and some with children, and so much wealth to move, will keep their camp open until the next day, and some for two days longer, until they can get everything ready for moving home.
THE LODGE DANCE.
THE LODGE DANCE.