May, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 59 



and smoked. He then formally asked* them to dance with him and 

 assist him in the ceremony. At this time Little-Hawk's fellow- 

 warriors made him many presents, such as ponies, moccasins, blan- 

 kets, calico, and money. 



It is the custom that should it not, for any reason, be proper for 

 the wife of the Pledger to take part in the Sun Dance, he should at 

 this time, with the advice of the men of his society, appgint a woman 

 to take her place. 



After this meeting Little- Hawk went from place to place visiting 

 the different camps in his district and the camps of the other districts, 

 informing all that he encountered that he had made the pledge, and 

 inviting them to participate in the ceremony. 



Later in the year Little-Hawk again made a feast and invited the 

 members of his own society, at which meeting they conferred and 

 decided on a time and place for the ceremony. After the meeting 

 he continued gathering presents to help him defray the expenses of 

 the ceremony, and he gave his special attention to the securing of 

 certain objects which would be required in the ceremony, such as 

 paints, the sacred pipe, feathers, rattles, jerked meat, medicinal roots, 

 buffalo robe, buffalo skull, etc. In this the members of his society 

 assisted him. 



During the time between the making of the vow and the cere- 

 mony, the Pledger and his wife discontinue relationship as man and 

 wife, for should they have connection, one or both of them would die. 

 A similar fate would follow in case either proved untrue and com- 

 mitted adultery. During this time, also, no one of the tribe may 

 pass in front of either the Pledger or his wife, either within or out of 

 doors; for should this happen one or both of them would die, and the 

 person who committed the offense would meet with misfortune. 



TIME AND DURATION OF THE CEREMONY. 



As among the Arapaho, I have been unable to find that any one 

 of the summer months among the Cheyenne is peculiarly appropriate 

 for the Sun Dance. It may not be held, however, until the grass has 

 reached its full growth and the willows and cottonwoods are in full 

 leaf. It is more than possible that formerly the time of the beginning 

 of the dance was regulated by the phase of the moon. All the cere- 

 monies of which I have record were held either in July or August, 

 the majority of them in July. 



•The reason of this request is that the dancers, in the Cheyenne ceremony, participate, not 

 because they also have vowed to dance, but because they belong to the warrior society of the one 

 who has pledged the ceremony. 



