io8 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



down in the southeast portion of the lodge, where the pipe was cere- 

 monially smoked by the priests four times. 



Regarding the preparation of the sods and their final disposition, 

 the same course was followed in the 1902 performance as on the previ- 

 ous year. After Hocheni had gone through the usual movement with 

 the pipe-stem over them, Watdngaa and his wife trimmed them up 

 and placed them in position. (See Plates XLIV., XLV., and XLVII.) 

 After Watangaa had decorticated a few of the dogwood sticks, to be 

 mentioned presently, he took up a large knife and began trimming up 

 the edges of the sods, making them more nearly circular and in the 

 shape of inverted cones. 



TIMBERS FOR THE ALTAR. 



During this time, Biba and her grandmother sat near the extreme 

 western end of the lodge, having the buffalo skull and other parapher- 

 nalia, which had been brought in on the previous night, between them 

 and the center-post. While the priests were absent, members of the 

 Star society had secured a small cedar, a small willow, and five small 

 Cottonwood trees, which had been brought to the lodge. They also 

 brought in a large number of rabbit bushes and several small branches 

 of dogwood, which Waakat'ani soon began decorticating. 



Waanibe and Sosoni, both pupils, now entered, leading ponies and 

 carrying calico, presents from them to Hdwkan and Chaui, for their 

 instruction. 



After the ponies had been removed, the two women began to 

 sharpen the bases of the cottonwood limbs. After this was done, 

 Waanibe sharpened the base of the little cedar tree, while Sosoni 

 sharpened the base of the willow. Chaiii and Sdsoni brought in two 

 cottonwood billets, about four feet long. Wadnibe then took up the 

 two cottonwood billets from the base of the center-pole, where they 

 had been placed, and carried them over near Hdcheni. The latter 

 arose, and placing the pipe-stem in her hands, guided the stem five 

 times in the direction of the billets and then over them and at the 

 ends. He uttered a prayer, returned to his position in the semi- 

 circular line, while Wadnibe began decorticating the two billets. (See 

 Plate L.) 



Chaui and several members of Thihduchhdwkan's society came in 

 and sat down on the north side of the lodge near the opening. The 

 rabbit bushes were divided up among the older men, sitting in a semi- 

 circle; each one occupied himself for a while in bringing the base of 

 each bush to a point. (See Plate LI.) 



