Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin,
1917":
Chapter 10:
Winnebago Festivities
-As
transcribed from pages 204 - 205
The festivities among the Dakotas and Winnebagoes consist of dancing,
singing, feasting and speech-making, and are held several times a year.
The peace jubilee, or autumn festival, is celebrated by the Winnebagoes
after the cranberry season is over, usually some time in October.
This jubilee includes the "medicine" or "magic" dance.
Invitations are sent out four days before the dance, and an immense
tepee is erected on the ground where the celebration is to be
held. This structure is about 110 feet long and 12 feet wide, and
is covered with boughs and canvas. The invited guests are each
supposed to make a present of four blankets to the person getting up
the entertainment. On the evening of the pow-wow the Indians
assemble, and after building large fires, start the celebration with a
chant. Then the young squaws and bucks begin the dance, and the
tum-tum is kept going continuously, all night long. As the
enthusiasm kindles, the older Indians join in, and finally the
children. The surging mass of dusty humanity grows hilarious, and
shouts and songs ring through the air while the tum-tum beats its
savage music until the very lodge poles seem to dance. In the
glare of the great fire, the scene grows weird, and the forms look more
hideous, the faces grow inhuman and shrieks stab the night air.
The demons of the night, as it were, are turned loose, and in their
frenzy slaughter the peaceful harmonies that brood in the darkness over
the streams and forests. A feast is prepared and when the guests
are hungry and wary of the dance they assemble in circles and enjoy the
soup and meat that is place in big bowls before them. Day dawns,
but the dance goes on, and the feasting continues, and not until
another night does the ceremony end.
One of the Indians is made a medicine man during the jubilee. The
secret work of conferring the degree on the candidate has been handed
down through the ages. After being initiated, the candidate makes
a speech, and thereafter is a full-fledged member of the secret society.
When the entertainment breaks up, the person makes each guest a present of a blanket, and keeps the rest for himself.
The buffalo dance is the source of a great deal of amusement among the
Winnebago Indians. The place is chosen and the tepee is erected
and covered the same as in the medicine dance. Each one who
participates is dressed to imitate a buffalo and then they gather on
the grounds, build fires and wait for the herd to make its appearance.
A bowl is put in a hole in the ground and filled with maple sugar and
syrup. The old buffalo leader comes out and is followed by the
herd, consisting of calves and young and full grown bisons. The
tum-tum begins and the dance is on. Around the maple sugar bowl
they swarm and shout and sing and bellow. The old buffalo leader
stoops down and sticks his head in the bowl and eats - then he gives
way and the rest follow - they keep on dancing and eating until the
sugar is all gone. Then the great fun begins. The old
buffalo must hook the bowl out of the ground without using his
hands. If he is unable to do this he is the laughing stock of the
whole crowd the rest of the night, but he generally manages to hook the
bowl out after a great deal of hard work on his part and a continuous
roar of laughing and shouting from the participants and assembled
guests. When his task is accomplished all join in a feast and
then smoke, and lie around until morning.