174 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IV. 



believed to be the birth of the people hereafter, or an increase in 

 population. It is also a plea to all protective powers for their aid and 

 care. "If the Transferrer keeps his heart straight and his hands from 

 doing evil to the woman, it is a blessing to the people and means an 

 increase in population and stock and property. But if the Transferrer's 

 conduct is such as to wrong the woman, even in the slightest (the 

 temptation being very great) the connection does not benefit the 

 people, and moreover, the Transferrer's life would be shortened." 



It is interesting to compare the above statement, based on 

 Hdwkan's and Black-Hand's description, with the following account 

 of observations which the author actually made during the ceremony of 

 1902. 



Just before the departure from the Rabbit-tipi of the grandfather 

 and the wife of the Lodge-Maker, Hawkan turned to the author and 

 made a statement something like the following: "You are now to see 

 this ceremony (the Sun Dance) for the second time. We have kept 

 nothing from you up to the present, and we are anxious that you 

 should see the entire ceremony. You, therefore, now have the privi- 

 lege of going out with Nishnat^yana, where you will see what actually 

 takes place. You will see that, contrary to common belief, there is 

 nothing wrong in the rite about to be performed." Thinking it pos- 

 sible that some element of the ceremony which the author then wit- 

 nessed might have been purposely omitted, he determined to see, 

 without the knowledge of the priests, the second performance, which 

 took place two nights later. This he did, but the ceremony was in 

 every detail similar to the first. A description of a single evening, 

 therefore, may suffice: 



It lacked but a few minutes of midnight on the night of the second 

 day of the Rabbit-tipi, when one of the Criers was heard outside, com- 

 manding the people to be silent and to remain within doors. Imme- 

 diately after this announcement the drumming and singing, which had 

 been carried on during the evening up to this time by several of the 

 warrior societies in different lodges here and there in the camp-circle, 

 suddenly ceased. Debithe and Nishnat^yana left the Rabbit-tipi for 

 a few moments, soon returning. Presumably the object of this move 

 was, that Debithe, who was grandfather for the Lodge-Maker dur- 

 ing the ceremony of 1901, might explain to Nishnat^yana the part 

 which he was to perform in the approaching rite. The wife of the 

 Lodge-Maker left her place behind and to the north of the buffalo 

 skull, which was her accustomed place while on the Rabbit-tipi, and 

 went over to Debithe, who had been seated on the south side near the 

 door. She placed her hands on his head, and uttered a prayer. In a 



