Dec, 1905. The Ponca Sun Dance — Dorsey. 73. 



The majority of the horses were painted, and provided with wil- 

 low collars and bell pendants. They entered the camp-circle on 

 the north side, and singing, shouting and yelling, and brandishing 

 their guns, they rapidly rode around the camp-circle, passing via 

 the east and south. Then they charged upon the equally bedecked 

 and painted crowd in the centre of the circle, and for over half 

 an hour there ensued a very spirited and hilarious sham battle. 

 (See PI. VI.) During the sham battle White-Eagle and the sub-chiefs 

 selected certain men to "capture the enemy," that is, to go with the 

 one who located the tree to the timber, cut the tree and bring it to 

 the centre of the camp-circle. It was then about midday and all 

 went to their tipis for the noon feast and to give away presents, 

 to show their joy at the successful outcome of the sham battle. 



Moving the Tipis of Preparation. 

 Mention has been made of the tipis selected by the priests on 

 the previous day, which served as meeting -places. In the early 

 morning each of these was taken up bodily by women, relatives of 

 the priests, and carried within the camp-circle about one hundred 

 feet towards the centre. (See PI. II, Fig. 2.) These tipis then became 

 sacred and secret, and could not be entered by any one except the 

 priests who belonged to them, or later by the dancers who elected to 

 have as grandfather a priest, who, in conjunction with one or more 

 priests, owned the tipis. 



Inviting the Dancers. 

 Immediately after assembling in the secret tipis the servants 

 were given the names of those who were to be invited to fast. They 

 at once made the round of the camp crying out the names. The 

 men on hearing their names called went to any one of the four secret 

 tipis they chose, and each selected as grandfather the one he pre- 

 ferred to be his instructor. Each grandfather, however, aimed to 

 get at least four men to paint and direct. Having chosen a grand- 

 father, they henceforth remained in his tipi, except when they were 

 in the Sun Dance lodge proper. In this secret tipi they were painted 

 and costumed for the public performances, and from the time they 

 entered the tipi until the ceremony came to an end they fasted. 



Building the Lodge. 

 At about two o'clock a large body of men and women went to 

 the timber and brought in many short limbs. With these, under 

 the direction of White-Eagle, the Sun Dance lodge was erected. 



