i6 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



phernalia, had been carried into the Rabbit-tipi where the Wheel had 

 been unwrapped, and suspended upon a forked stick which stood just 

 back of the buffalo skull, on the west side of the tipi. The occasions 

 for wrapping the Wheel this day, differed in each instance, two per- 

 forming the ceremony in accordance with a vow made in connection 

 with a sick child; another as a supplication that he might wear the 

 Lodge-Maker's paint during the ceremony; while the fourth occasion 

 was on account of a family trouble. 



As a description of a single wrapping'will suffice, we will take this 

 fourth instance, when the ceremony was performed in behalf of 

 Watdngaa and his wife. The daughter of this famous Messiah leader 

 of the Arapaho had been married for over a year to a son of the 

 equally famous Hocheni, of the Arapaho. Trouble had grown up 

 between the two families on account of the separation of the young 

 couple, and Watdngaa and his wife wished to have removed from them 

 whatever discredit might attach to them for their share in the dispute 

 between the two families. Having given notice to Hawkan, therefore, 

 that he wished to perform the ceremony, he was seen, at about ten 

 o'clock in the morning, to proceed to the Rabbit-tipi from his own 

 tipi, being followed across the camp-circle by a number of women, 

 friends of his wife, bearing vessels of food. Watdngaa and his wife 

 entered the lodge, having first removed their moccasins, and took a 

 seat next to the door on the north side. Food was then passed in by 

 the women outside, the first vessel being placed on the ground at the 

 southwest of the fireplace, the second in a northwest position, the third 

 in the northeast, the fourth in the southeast, and the fifth in the east 

 position. Additional vessels of food were grouped indiscriminately 

 about these five. There were already assembled in the lodge, Hdwkan, 

 Hocheni, and other Sun Dance priests, together with the Lodge-Maker 

 and others who were to play an important part during the ceremony. 



On entering, Watdngaa had a pipe and a piece of calico, about a 

 yard in length, loosely tied at one corner to a small stick, which was 

 placed by Debithe (Cut-Nose), just south of the skull, and by the side 

 of the other wrappings of the Wheel. Immediately on entering, 

 Watdngaa handed the pipe, which he had previously filled in his own 

 tipi, to Debithe, who placed it in a vacant space just in front of the 

 buffalo skull and to the west of the fireplace. The pipe was so placed 

 that the bowl projected upwards, while the stem pointed to the sout^i. 

 The wife of Watdngaa now handed a bowl of meat from the southeast 

 corner of the fireplace to Chanitoe (Striking-Back), who took up the 

 bowl of meat and placed it in front of Debithe. 



Debithe touched the forefinger of his right hand to the ground, 



