A Further Contribution to the Study of the Mortuary Customs of the North American Indians | Page 4

to walk directly westward, that he would soon discover moccasin tracks,
which he must follow until he came to a great river, which is the river
of death; when there he would find a pole across the river, which, if he
has been honest, upright, and good, will be straight, upon which he
could readily cross to the other side; but if his life had been one of
wickedness and sin, the pole would be very crooked, and in the attempt
to cross upon it he would be precipitated into the turbulent stream and
lost forever. The brave also told him if he crossed the river in safety the
Great Father would receive him, take out his old brains, give him new
ones, and then he would have reached the happy hunting grounds,
always be happy and have eternal life. After burial a feast was always
called, and a portion of the food of which each and every relative was
partaking was burned to furnish subsistence to the spirit upon its
journey.
Modern funeral ceremonies.--Provisions are rarely put into the grave,
and no portion of what is prepared for the feast subsequent to burial is
burned, although the feast is continued. All the address delivered by the
brave over the corpse after being deposited in the grave is omitted. A
prominent feature of all ceremonies, either funeral or religious, consists
of feasting accompanied with music and dancing.
Ancient mourning observations.--The female relations allowed their
hair to hang entirely unrestrained, clothed themselves in the most

unpresentable attire, the latter of which the males also do. Men blacked
the whole face for a period of ten days after a death in the family, while
the women blacked only the cheeks; the faces of the children were
blacked for three months; they were also required to fast for the same
length of time, the fasting to consist of eating but one meal per day, to
be made entirely of hominy, and partaken of about sunset. It was
believed that this fasting would enable the child to dream of coming
events and prophesy what was to happen in the future. The extent and
correctness of prophetic vision depended upon how faithfully the ordeal
of fasting had been observed.
Modern mourning observances.--Many of those of the past are
continued, such as wearing the hair unrestrained, wearing uncouth
apparel, blacking faces, and fasting of children, and they are adhered to
with as much tenacity as many of the professing Christians belonging
to the evangelical churches adhere to their practices, which constitute
mere forms, the intrinsic value of which can very reasonably be called
in question.
The Creeks and Seminoles of Florida, according to Schoolcraft,[4]
made the graves of their dead as follows:
When one of the family dies, the relatives bury the corpse about four
feet deep in a round hole dug directly under the cabin or rock wherever
he died. The corpse is placed in the hole in a sitting posture, with a
blanket wrapped about it, and the legs bent under and tied together. If a
warrior, he is painted, and his pipe, ornaments, and warlike appendages
are deposited with him. The grave is then covered with canes tied to a
hoop round the top of the hole, then a firm layer of clay, sufficient to
support the weight of a man. The relations howl loudly and mourn
publicly for four days. If the deceased has been a man of eminent
character, the family immediately remove from the house in which he
is buried and erect a new one, with a belief that where the bones of
their dead are deposited the place is always attended by goblins and
chimeras dire.
Dr. W.C. Boteler, physician to the Otoe Indian Agency, Gage County,
Nebraska, in a personal communication to the writer, furnishes a most

interesting account of the burial ceremonies of this tribe, in which it
may be seen that graves are prepared in a manner similar to those
already mentioned:
The Otoe and Missouri tribes of Indians are now located in southern
Gage County, Nebraska, on a reservation of 43,000 acres, unsurpassed
in beauty of location, natural resources, and adaptability for prosperous
agriculture. This pastoral people, though in the midst of civilization,
have departed but little from the rude practice and customs of a
nomadic life, and here may be seen and studied those interesting
dramas as vividly and satisfactorily as upon the remote frontier.
During my residence among this people on different occasions, I have
had the opportunity of witnessing the Indian burials and many quaint
ceremonies pertaining thereto.
When it is found that the vital spark is wavering in an Otoe subject, the
preparation of the burial costume is immediately began. The near
relatives of the dying Indian surround the humble bedside, and by