Three classes of war songs are here presented and comprise a song concerning a conquered warrior of the Cheyenne Tribe, several songs of Pawnee warriors, and songs which were sung at two gatherings of the tribe attended by the writer, these gatherings being in honor of Pawnee soldiers who had recently returned from the [First] World War.
The first song commemorates a well-known event in Pawnee history. About the year 1852 the Cheyenne and Arapaho returned from Washington, where they had gone to make a treaty with the Government of the United States. Among them was a Cheyenne of great reputation named Touching Cloud, who because of the incident to be related, was afterwards known among the pawnee as Iron Shirt. This man had in his employ a Mexican who could cut rounddisks from the thin frying pans used at that time. Touching Cloud ahd these disks sewed on a shirt and cap, the pieces overlapping as in old-world armor. Soon after the return of the treaty party, the Cheyenne attacked the Pawnee, who were hunting buffalo. Touching Cloud felt so secure that he rode directly among the Pawnee. His arms were so stiffened by the metal disks on his sleeves that he could use no weapon except a sword but he used this so effectively that he and his party drove the Pawnee back to their village. The Pawnee were unable to explain the fearlessness of this man and talked of it among themselves.
In the village was a young man named Carrying-the-shield who had not gone with the hunters. He listened to what they said and remembered something told him by his father, who was keeper of a sacred bundle. His father had four sons and gave them four sacred arrows, each a differen color. The arrow recieved by Carrying-the-shield was red. In giving the arrow his father said, "Use this arrow when you are in great danger and it will save your life." So Carrying-the-shield took the arrow and a bow, went out and met a party of Pawnee retreating with the Cheyenne in pursuit. The retreating party opened and let him through. Touching Cloud made ready to attack him but the youth shot him in the eye with the red arrow and he fell from his horse. The Pawnee "counted coup" on his body and found that he wore, concealed beneath his out raiment, the metal-covered shirt made for him by the Mexican. Therefore he was known as Iron Shirt among the Pawnee.
Two dances of historic interest to the Pawnee were held in honor of memebers of the tribe who had served in the [First] World War. These dances were held on June 6 and 7, 1919, and were attended by the writer. The place of the gatherings was a large wooden structure, north of Pawnee and located among the members of the Skidi Band. It was six-sided, with a dirt floor, and had an entrace toward the east which resembled the covered entrance to the earth lodge.
The first gathering was attended by about 200 Indians and the building was closely packed at the second gathering, those unable to gain admission being croweded around the windows and door.
The Pawnee Tribe was represented in the United States Army by 40 young men, all except one of whom returned in full health and vigor. One of the Pawnee soldiers died from disease in France. None were wounded, although many saw hard service at the front. Several were with the Rainbow division, and on one occasion when there was a call for volunteers for dangerous service four Pawnee stepped forward and were accepted. One of these men brought back a German helmet as a trophy and his mother carried it in the victory dance as a scalp was carried in former times. The helmet was fastened to a pole at the top of which a captured knife was fastened like the point of a lance. A Pawnee said: "While the boys were away we prayed for their safe return. We did this at every public gathering and it looks as though our prayers had been answered."
The dance on June 6 [1919] was the rejoicing of the tribe and that on the day following was more formal, being attended by many white persons from the town of Pawnee. At the first dance the soldiers were honored by their families and friends, especially by the women, about 45 of whom were in the circle. It was a time of general rejoicing, sometimes three persons being on their feet at the same time, singing, narrating some incident, or giving a gift. Old war songs were sung with new rwords appropriate to the occasion. For example, one man had composed words which mentioned airplanes and submarines, these words being sung to an old tune. A woman had composed two similar songs, and, crossing the circle, she stood in front of the chief (James R. Murie) and sang them alone, without the drum. Throughout the entire afternoon there were frequent repetitions of the shrill, quavering cry with which the Indian women express pleasure or approval.
Two of the most interesting songs heard on this occasion had their origin in two dreams by John Luwak. The melody of the two was the same, but the words referred to different dreams. Luwak, who speaks no English, said that his friends translated to him the newspaper accounts of the war and that he "felt badly that our boys must cross the ocean and suffer so much." So he prayed daily to Tirawa, saying, "Help our boys over there, so they will all come back strong and let me live to seem them again." One night he fell asleep, after such a prayer, and "in his sleep someone told him that it would not be long before he would see the Pawnee boys again." He dreamed, and in his dream he saw thousands of white people and heard them sing this song. They were very happy and were dancing and waving flags; even the oldest people were dancing.
He had never seen white people behave in this manner, and it surprised him greatly. A few days later he heard of the signing of the armistice and the scenes of its celebration. The next night he dreamed again, and in his dream he saw a circle of Indians dancing and heard them sing the same melody. In the middle of the dance circle was a tall pole, and on top of it was a skull. Two white women stood near him watching the dance, and one of them pointed to the skull, saying, "Look, I wonder what that can be." When he awkoe he thought perhaps the skull indicated that many of the enemy had been killed but later he interpreted the skull as representing a helmet. As already mentioned, a helmet was carried in the victory dance.
Soon after these dreams there was a gathering of the Pawnee at the earth lodge and Luwak rose, told his dreams, and sang the song, which was readily learned by the people and sung at subsequent gatherings prior to the return of the soldiers. The words heard in his first dream are those presented with the transcription. The words with his second dream were addressed to the skull: "At this, whoever you may have belonged to, you are now hung on a pole." The words of the song when sung at the victory dance were connected with events of the recent war.
Song Concerning Iron Shirt
Eagle Chief's War Song
The Thunder Spoke Quietly
He Comes
A Woman Welcomes the Warriors
Song for Returned Pawnee Soldiers
Brown Bear's Song
Women's War Song