May, T903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 63 



performance was witnessed, however, during the ceremony of 1902, 

 and is here given. It is evident from what follows, that the bunches 

 of rabbit fur were preserved from the 1901 celebration. 



An old buffalo robe, devoid of ornamentation or decoration, was 

 brought into the Rabbit-tipi by Nishnat^yana, grandfather of the 

 Lodge-Maker, oh the morning of the second day, immediately after 

 the cleansing of a certain individual by the Wheel, as has already been 

 described in connection with the account of the Wheel. The robe was 

 passed back to the Lodge-Maker, who used it for a pillow, while the 

 concluding ceremonies of the Wheel were being performed. 



After the Wheel had been restored to its usual place, Nishnat^yana 

 knelt in front of Hawkan, and placing both hands upon his head, he 

 uttered a prayer. At the same time, the wife of Nishnat^yana knelt 

 in front of Debithe and touched the ground with the tips of the fingers 

 of the two hands, which she then placed on Debithe's head. The 

 latter then placed the tips of the fingers of the right hand on the 

 ground and uttered a prayer, touched the tips of the fingers of his two 

 hands to the ground, then bit off a small piece of root, spat in her 

 hands, which she then rubbed over her body. Thiyeh then held out 

 the extended palms of her two hands close together, while Debithe 

 touched them in the usual ceremonial fashion five times, the last time 

 being in the center of the two hands, spitting into her hands each 

 time, as he touched it. She then sat down just back of the Wheel. 

 Hdwkan now went out and returned with a bunch of fresh wild sage 

 and sat down to the south of Thiyeh, while Nishnat^yana sat down to 

 the south of Hdwkan. The remaining personages on this, the south 

 side, of the lodge, were in order, Nishchdnakati, Chanitoe, Hocheni, 

 and Debithe. Hdwkan now divided the sage into five bundles, which 

 he placed in front of himself. On this bed of sage he placed a leathern 

 sack and some object wrapped in an old piece of calico, both of which 

 he took from their position just south of the skull. Hdwkan now 

 prayed. 



At the conclusion of the prayer, Nishchdnakati took a bite of root 

 in his mouth and pointed toward the leathern bundle with the pipe- 

 stem, beginning with the southeast corner, then at the southwest, 

 northwest, northeast, and center, spitting toward the bundle each 

 time as he pointed. Thiyeh then opened the leathern bag, which was 

 found to contain the belt, already mentioned in connection with the 

 Wheel, and a small bundle containing pieces of rabbit skin. The belt 

 was replaced in the leathern sack. • 



Of the pieces of rabbit skin there were many in number, from 

 which Hdwkan proceeded to select seven, which were of especial 



