Indian Customs

At one time an Indian baby got sick and died. The Indians wrapped it in a blanket and put it under the fence on a white man's farm. All the Indians moved 1 1/2 miles east. The child had died at 11 o'clock. They were leaving it until sundown. The white people offered to bury it. The Indians were willing they should, but they would not do anything until sundown. White people fixed a coffin. The mother came back and gave them the child's toys, blankets ect. which were buried with the child.

Another time an Indian mother with a new baby was taken to the hospital. Her people thought she would die so they moved away again. When the mother recovered they moved back to their original place. (This story is of recent date---hence the hospital)

An Indian who came and camped near Henrieville was called Indian Jim. He helped the farmers shuck corn; in exchange for his work, he got corn.

When he first came here, he came with others as they made their trips through, going or coming from Escalante. When the others went on, he remained here for a month or so. When he became old he stayed in people's yards. He was good, willing to work at anything that needed doing.

Part of the summer he would stay in neighboring towns. Usually he came with his people in April and would remain here until October.

They ate prairie dogs, roasted with the hides on. They did not plant gardens because they did not stay in one place long enough. However, they were willing to work for the produce they received. When Jim became quite old the white people did not require him to do much work, but gave him the things he needed. Finally the Indians took him up on Sheep Flat and left him there.

They did not want him to die where they lived. Some of the other Indians stayed with him until he died. The white people respected him enough that when he died they took a casket and brought him to Cannonville and buried him in the cemetery.