82 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VII. 



and destroyed it. Next a cup of water was handed to each one of 

 the dancers, after which each drank his fill from the pail. Then 

 White-Eagle took from a bowl some corn and offered it to the sun 

 symbol on the south side. Food, consisting chiefly of dog-meat, 

 was then distributed among the dancers. As each dancer received 

 his portion, he broke off a bit, raised it aloft, muttered a prayer, 

 and dropped it on the centre of the sun-symbol. After the feast, 

 White-Eagle uttered a prayer. 



Torture. 



At this point the author left this tipi, and went to White-Deer's 

 tipi, called hitherto No. i. So far as could be learned, the same 

 rites had been performed here as in tipi No. 4. On entering, the 

 dancers were preparing themselves for the sacrifice. Seated in 

 the centre was the priest, and one after the other the dancers took 

 a place by him, each as he did so turning his right shoulder to the 

 priest. The latter thereupon took up an awl which he thrust in 

 the skin over the shoulder-bone, and, lifting up the skin, he cut off 

 with a knife a circular piece about half an inch in diameter, which 

 he placed in the outstretched hand of the dancer. Thereupon, 

 the latter stood up, raised the piece of skin upward, offering it to the 

 sun, then placed it on a small piece of cloth with tobacco seeds, which 

 had been provided for that purpose. During this rite of sacrifice 

 much good feeling and jollity and even hilarity prevailed in the 

 tipi. After the priest had completed taking the sacrifice from the 

 last dancer, each handed to the priest his little packet containing 

 the tobacco and the piece of skin; these he took to the lodge and 

 deposited them on the ground at the foot of the centre- pole. 

 (See PI. XXI, Fig. 2.) It was then about two o'clock in the after- 

 noon and the ceremony was at an end. 



PAINTS AND COSTUMES. 



All dancers at all times wore their hair loose, and were naked, 

 except for a loose, white skirt, over which hung in front the loose 

 end of a red or blue loin-cloth. None of them at any time wore 

 moccasins. Besides the paint which the dancers of each group 

 wore in common, the members of each group wore or carried distinc- 

 tive objects of special nature. When the contrary is not stated, 

 it will be understood that all the dancers, including the grandfather 

 or the one who painted them, and his servant and pipe-bearers, 

 were painted and costumed alike. Each dancer carried in one hand 

 a bunch of sage, and all wore wrist and ankle bands of cotton, which 



