siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

SWANTON] CHOCTAW SOCIAL AlfD CEEEMONIAL LIFE 23
from their camps like dogs. They returned to Nunih Waya, but did not
resume their work. The superintendent of the work complained to the chief.
The chief called the tool carriers and instructed them to go out, and select a
piece of land, that would not interfere with the claims of the iksas. " Lay out
a plot of land, twenty steps square for each one of the yushpakammi, who is
not found engaged at work on the mound; and set the idle conjurers to work
on it, preparing the ground to plant corn. We are settled pei-manently now,
and every member of the nation, who is Jiealthy, must perform sufficient labor
to produce, at least, as much food and raiment as he consumes. This people
shall not labor and sweat to support a lazy, heartless set of men, whose only
duty is falsehood, and whose influence disturbs the quiet of the nation."
The tool carriers laid off the little plats of land, but the conjurers paid no
attention to the order for them to work it. The chief then appointed a day
for the people to meet in council for the purpose of taking into consideration
the bad character of these lazy men and the demoralizing influence they
exerted in the nation. The whole number of the conjurers were also summoned
to attend the council and defend their right to enjoy all the privileges of the
camps, with entire exemption from labor or any visible calling.
On the day appointed for the council, all the people who were out hunting
came. But of the spirit talkers and conjurers, there were not exceeding
thirty in the assembly, and they were all known to be industrious men. Messengers
were sent to warn them to the council. They were not to be found
in the camps ; and it was discovered that a great number of women were
missing. The assembly immediately broke up and parties were sent out to
capture and bring home the women at least.
After several days diligent search, the parties all returned and reported that
the conjurers must have gone off on the wind ; for they could discover no trace
nor sign of them in any direction. Nor did they ever know certainly what
went with them.
At the time this thing occurred there were so many i)eople absent from the
encampment that they were unable to make an estimate of the number that
were missing but from the number of children left without mothers in the
camp, it was known to be very considerable. As far as could be ascertained,
they were the wives of men, without exception, who were out hunting. It
was distressing to see the great number of small children who were running
to and fro in the camps, and to hear their incessant lament. " Sa ishka muto ''
(Where is my mother) was heard in all directions. They were mostly small
children, and generally of young mothers who had abandoned both them and
their absent husbands and run off with the lazy conjuring priests and medicine
men.
At midwinter, when the hunting parties had all returned, an effort was made
to ascertain the number of women who had left their families to follow the
conjurers and priests. From the best computation they could make, the number
was nearly 200, and it so much excited the bereaved husbands and the people
generally against the Isht ahuUo and conjurers of every grade, that it was
with much difficulty the minko found himself able to dissuade them from falling
upon the few that were left, and who were faithfully at work on the mound.
In their rage [they cried] that the whole mass of lazy Isht ahullo, conjurers,
spirit talkers, and medicine men were all alike—enemies to the men that fed
them, and seducers and prostituters of the women who clothed them. They declared
that there was no good in them, and that they ought not to live. This
manifestation of the low, gross nature of the priests and conjurers depreciated