May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 43 



THE USE OF THE PIPE-STEM. 



The pipe-stem is used, both in Rabbit-tipi and Offerings-lodge, to 

 discharm with — its poison or antidote (wahttu, root) comes from the 

 flat pipe. By touching objects about to be altered with the pipe-stem, 

 the workers are rendered immune from the power to do evil which is 

 inherent in every animate object (called in prayer as supernatural 

 being), and which ordinarily would resent being altered. Were the 

 pipe-stem not used, the worker would suffer injury, misfortune, or 

 even loss of life. 



The belief in the protective" power of the flat or tribal medicine 

 pipe is so great that the stem is spoken of as the head or mind of the 

 Father who leads the way and conquers the enemy. 



THE USE OF SPITTLE. 



This rite, so often made use of in both Rabbit-tipi and Offerings- 

 lodge is a preparatory rite before certain actions. It is symbolic of 

 the information given by the Man-Above to the Four-Old-Men. It 

 also symbolizes the breath of a person, or in other words, life; it is 

 also a cleansing rite. The ejecting of spittle after taking a piece of 

 root into the mouth imitates the motion of scattering clay to the four 

 directions, as it was done when this earth was formed. The fifth time, 

 to the center, is for the Flat-Pipe, the Creator, who is located in the 

 center of the earth, and preserves a balance or equilibrium. 



RABBIT-TIPI SONGS AND THE REHEARSAL. 



After the feast, the utensils and the remaining food were removed 

 from the tipi, the priests sang certain songs which are only sung on 

 this the first night of the Rabbit-tipi. There was as yet no drum in 

 the tipi, and time was kept by beating with a pipe-stem upon the 

 Badger-pack. 



After they had been singing tor some time, the Lodge-Maker 

 passed his pipe to Debithe, who in turn handed it to Hdcheni, who 

 blest it and rubbed it. He then lighted it with a coal from the fire 

 and smoked a few puffs, and the pipe was then passed around the 

 circle from right to left. On the return of the pipe to Hdcheni, he 

 cleaned it in the usual ceremonial fashion. 



Debfthe took a live coal from the fire, and over it deposited some 

 spruce-leaves. As the smoke from the spruce began to ascend, the 

 Lodge-Maker took a large rawhide which he had brought into the 

 lodge with him, folded in the shape of a parfleche, and passed it over 

 the incense four times, and then carried it to the southeast corner of 



