"Captains Lewis and Clark, who went on shore one after the other, were met
on landing by ten well-dressed young men, who took them up in a robe
highly decorated and carried them to a large council-house, where they
were placed on a dressed buffalo-skin by the side of the grand chief.
The hall or council-room was in the shape of three-quarters of a circle,
covered at the top and sides with skins well dressed and sewed together.
Under this shelter sat about seventy men, forming a circle round the chief,
before whom were placed a Spanish flag and the one we had given
them yesterday. This left a vacant circle of about six feet diameter,
in which the pipe of peace was raised on two forked sticks, about six or eight
inches from the ground, and under it the down of the swan was scattered.
A large fire, in which they were cooking provisions, stood near, and in
the centre about four hundred pounds of buffalo meat as a present for us.
As soon as we were seated, an old man got up, and after approving
what we had done, begged us take pity on their unfortunate situation.
To this we replied with assurances of protection. After he had ceased,
the great chief rose and delivered a harangue to the same effect; then with
great solemnity he took some of the most delicate parts of the dog which
was cooked for the festival, and held it to the flag by way of sacrifice;
this done, he held up the pipe of peace, and first pointed it toward
the heavens, then to the four quarters of the globe, then to the earth,
made a short speech, lighted the pipe, and presented it to us.
We smoked, and he again harangued his people, after which the repast was
served up to us. It consisted of the dog which they had just been cooking,
this being a great dish among the Sioux, and used on all festivals;
to this were added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo meat, dried or jerked,
and then pounded and mixed raw with grease and a kind of ground potato,
dressed like the preparation of Indian corn called hominy, to which it
is little inferior. Of all these luxuries, which were placed before us
in platters with horn spoons, we took the pemitigon and the potato,
which we found good, but we could as yet partake but sparingly of the dog."
The "pemitigon" mentioned here is better known as pemmican,
a sort of dried meat, which may be eaten as prepared,
or pounded fine and cooked with other articles of food.
This festival concluded with a grand dance, which at midnight
wound up the affair.
As the description of these Tetons, given by Lewis and Clark, will give
the reader a good idea of the manners, customs, and personal appearance
of most of the Sioux nation, we will copy the journal in full.
It is as follows:
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