4© Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



lars by two or more witnesses. If the teller of the story exaggerates, 

 the fire does not burn well. The sticks of wood thrown into the fire 

 as fuel personify the victims struck or killed. Since they use their 

 victims as fuel to give light in the Rabbit-tipi and the Offerings-lodge, 

 the whole tribe is protected from all injury. This kindly protection 

 comes from Sun and Moon, or rather from the hearts of these two 

 deities. The fire is the Sun, for, after finishing the big lodge for the 

 snake, he gave his heart for light. 



Unless the fire is made in the Rabbit-tipi, as well as, later on, in 

 the Offerings-lodge, the ceremony cannot be carried on. The war 

 story itself is symbolic of victory for the tribe over famine and all 

 kinds of plagues. 



THE BADGER-PACK. 



Owing to purely accidental circumstances, the preparation of the 

 Badger-pack was not observed during either of the ceremonies of 1901 

 or 1902. It is known, however, that it was prepared on the afternoon 

 of the first day of the erection of the Rabbit-tipi. I assume from the 

 fact that the badger-skin, when the pack was unwrapped at the termi- 

 nation of the ceremony, was taken care of by Watangaa, that the skin 

 belongs to him, and was furnished by him on each occasion. The 

 same reasoning leads me to believe that the wrapper of the pack was 

 furnished by Hocheni. 



It was known that the badger-skin was painted, the anterior half 

 being in red and the posterior half in black. After the painting, it 

 was wrapped in an old piece of buffalo hide about three feet square, 

 which was then made into a compact bundle by means of a long buffalo- 

 hide rope. The wrapping was painted as had been the badger-skin, 

 the front half being red, the second half black, but whether the paint- 

 ing was done before the badger-skin was enveloped, or afterwards, is 

 not known ; nor is it known what rites, if any, were performed during 

 the preparation of the pack. In its finished condition, the badger- 

 skin had been so placed that the head, up to and including the ears, 

 projected beyond the end of the pack. When not in use, for purposes 

 to be described in proper places, the Badger-pack, both in the Rabbit- 

 tipi and in the Offerings-lodge, occupied a place to the south of the 

 skull, the badger looking toward the east. 



THE BUFFALO SKULL. 



Debithe again left the tipi and soon returned, bringing in a buffalo 

 skull which had been lying in Thihduchhdwkan's tipi, and which had 

 been brought to the camp-circle by VVatdngaa, who owned the skull. 



