BOY SCOUTS HONOR LORE OF INDIANS

For the Boy Scouts of Troop 232 in La Junta, Colo., Indian dancing isn't acting, it's a time-honored tradition rooted in the love of Indian lore.

From their colorful costumes to their practiced footsteps, scouts have performed for 60 years as the Koshare Indian dancers displaying the dances of American Indians, from those of the Southwest to the Plains Indians.

Saturday afternoon, the Koshares could be found setting up teepees and lights at the Show Me Center in preparation for their performance that evening. The show was held as part of Cape Girardeau's year-long bicentennial celebration.

There are about 45 members of the group. About 30, including six adults, made the trip to Cape Girardeau.

The Koshares present about 60 performances a year, with more than half of them held in the group's kiva, or ceremonial hall in La Junta.

There's also a Koshare Indian Museum in the Colorado city of 7,300 people. "We have a $40 million museum of Indian art and artifacts," said Seba.

Koshare is an Indian word that means "fun maker," said Tom Seba, one of the adult leaders and a performer in the show.

Painted black and white and sporting a court-jester type hat, Seba helps entertain the audience.

"The Indian people were extraordinarily fun loving and loved to joke and have fun," said Seba, a 12-year veteran of the group.

Seba said he has been with the Koshare dancers since he was 11 years old.

The group performs everything from war dances to hoop dances, which celebrate manhood. Other Indian dances in their repertoire are ones paying tribute to different animals, such as the eagle.

The Koshares have special permission to use real eagle feathers in their dances.

Since its inception in February 1933, more than 2,000 scouts and adult leaders have participated.

"One thing we boast is having the most Eagle Scouts of any troop in the U.S.," said Seba. The La Junta troop has been home to more than 550 Eagle Scouts.

Seba said the troop spends a lot of time dancing. "Every Monday night we have dance practice," he explained. On Wednesdays, the troop has its regular scout meeting. Weekends are spent on still more dance practice.

The troop averages about one show a week, he said.

The show opens with the Koshare War Dance, which was originally established as a tribute to the troop's members who died in World War II.

"We had 90 members take part in World War II, five of whom were killed," said Seba.

For the Koshares, performing at the Show Me Center was a treat. "We usually are in a hot school gymnasium," he explained.

Scout Matt Ehrlich, 19, is "head chief" of the Koshares. "It gets you pumped up dancing in front of screaming people."

Ehrlich said he enjoys the group's travels. "I've seen probably 40 of the 50 states."

Ehrlich performs as a "fancy dancer" in the show. The designation refers to a particular type of Plains Indian dancing. "The costumes are bright and have a lot of fringe," he explained.

Twelve-year-old Mark Hensley is still learning the ropes, having joined the Koshare dancers only about a year ago.

"I'm still a new papoose," he said.

Don Taylor, 13, has been an Indian dancer for about a year and a half. Taylor said he enjoys the traveling.

The group includes 14-year-old Luis Aragon. With his long black hair, the youth stood out among the other Boy Scouts Saturday.

Aragon, who has been a Koshare dancer for about three years, is part American Indian. Some of his ancestors were members of the Ute tribe.

Aragon is a "traditional dancer." He said it's the type of dance done at Native American powwows, some of which he has attended. Such dancing is not nearly as flashy as some of the ceremonial dances performed by the other Koshare dancers, he pointed out.

Some Indians, he said, take offense at the Koshare dancers, thinking they are mocking the Indian culture.

But Aragon, who would like to be an Eagle Scout, believes the Koshare dancers perform with good intentions.

"We are doing good for a bunch of Boy Scouts," he said.