May, 1903. The Arapaho Sun Dance — Dorsey. 143 



his shoulders, with the feathers hanging down in front. (See Fig. 2, 

 Plate XCVII.) 



All the dancers now had sage in their right hands, which they 

 raised aloft toward the center-pole from time to time, stretching the 

 hand out straight from the shoulder, and with the sage pointed straight 

 toward the right. (See Plate XCVIII.) The Lodge-Maker now 

 transferred to his right hand a buffalo tail, which up to this time he 

 had been holding in his left hand. This he waved and shook, as did 

 the others their sage. Still the singing and dancing continued, and 

 with increased spirit. Debithe then stepped up to the Lodge-Maker, 

 removed the Wheel from his head, and placed it on a limb of the cedar 

 tree, which projected back behind the skull. 



By the waving with an outward lifting motion of the Wheel toward 

 the center- pole, the Lodge-Maker calls the attention of the Father, 

 asking him to look down, while the placing of the Wheel over the 

 Lodge-Maker's head, is to say, "My Grandfather, I take on, I receive 

 the good of your gift for myself and for all." 



Ponies, calico, and money, still were being given away by the 

 friends of the dancers. 



As on previous occasions during the dancing, Biba, the wife of 

 the Lodge-Maker, constantly sat behind and to the north of the altar, 

 being wrapped in a buffalo robe. The grandmother now took some- 

 thing from a little bag which she carried with her, put it in her mouth, 

 spat it upon the palms of her two hands, and rubbed her head, breast, 

 and arms. Behind the buffalo skull was now placed a pile of calico as 

 an offering, on the part of some individual, to the Wheel. 



PREPARATION OF THE SWEET-WATER. 



One of the women now brought into the lodge a white wooden 

 bowl about two feet in diameter, together with a knife and an axe, 

 whereupon Hawkan, Watangaa, and the Lodge-Maker went around 

 behind the buffalo skull, where Bech^aye joined them. She leaned 

 over Hawkan and uttered a prayer, whereupon they arranged them- 

 selves in the form of a circle. Two of the men now cleared away a 

 circular bit of ground, about a foot in diameter, just back of the buf- 

 falo skull. Debithe now joined the circle, bringing a bucket of hot 

 water and a long-handled spoon of mountain sheep horn. Debithe 

 passed the stem of the straight-pipe to Hdwkan, who arose and asked 

 that the singing and dancing cease, whereupon the dancers sat down. 

 Watangaa passed a bag of red paint to Chanitoe, who opened it and thor- 

 oughly mixed a piece of tallow with it. Watangaa then passed to him a 

 bag of black paint, whereupon this also was mixed with tallow. Hawkan 



