12 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



co-operation. Couriers of the Star society also went from place to 

 place announcing the ceremony, and asking the co-operation of all. 

 The Lodge-Maker on several occasions went to the lodges of Hdwkan, 

 Hdcheni, and other leading priests, and smoked with them. 



On about the fifteenth of November, a meeting was -held in the 

 lodge of Red-Wolf, one of the head men of the Star society, at which 

 time the Lodge-Maker was present, together with Hawkan, Bech^aye, 

 Watangaa (Black-Coyote), and other chiefs. A feast had been pro- 

 vided by Red-Wolf for Thihduchhdwkan and the assembled guests. 

 Concerning the carrying on of the ceremony, the chiefs conferred 

 together, and addressed the head men of the Star society, telling them 

 their duties in the matter, and that they should do everything to assist 

 their brother, the Lodge-Maker. The reason for this, of course, was 

 the fact that Thihduchhawakan was a member of the Star society. 

 Hdwkan then related stories of former ceremonies; told them that he 

 felt sympathy for the Star society and its bereaved brother, that he 

 would do everything in his power to assist. Then, turning to one of 

 the head men of the Star society, he told him to visit the Keeper of 

 the Wheel, see that it was in good condition, and see if the Keeper 

 of the Wheel still had in his possession the belt. He told other mem- 

 bers of the Star society, assembled by him, to look after other pieces 

 of paraphernalia which would be required in the ceremony. This 

 concluded the work of the evening, and the gathering broke up, with 

 all in a happy frame of mind. 



IV.— The Sacred Wheel. 



This object, next to the great tribal medicine, the flat pipe, in the 

 keeping of the Northern Arapaho, is the most sacred possession in the 

 tribe. Inasmuch as it plays an important part in the Sun Dance cere- 

 mony and as it is used in other ceremonies as well, a detailed descrip- 

 tion of it may not be out of place at this point: 



DESCRIPTION OF THE WHEEL. 



The object (hehotti) is about eighteen inches in diameter (see 

 Plate I.). It is made of a rectangular piece of wood, one end of which 

 tapers like the tail of a serpent, the other being rudely fashioned to 

 represent a serpent's head. Near the head of the serpent are several 

 wrappings of blue beads, which have replaced small red berries which 

 formerly occupied this place. At four opposite sides of the Wheel are 

 incised designs, two of them being in the form of crosses, the other 



