ii6 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IX. 



his left hand still further up on the pole, the thumb of the left hand 

 being outstretched and in contact with the thumb of his right hand. 

 This was to represent the width of the band to be painted by the 

 Lodge-maker, who then stepped forward and rubbed his hands in 

 the black paint, rubbed them together and made four passes toward 

 the pole. Then he first lightly rubbed the pole at this point and then 

 painted a band entirely around the pole. They turned toward the 

 west and went to the southwest pole, which was again measured by 

 Bull-Tongue, as was the first pole. The location of the place to be 

 painted having been found, it was also painted black by the Lodge- 

 maker. They passed around the lodge to the pole on the northwest 

 corner, which was again measured and painted as before, red 

 being used instead of black. They went to the northeast pole, 

 which was measured as those preceding, and painted. Thus the 

 lodge bore the same symbolism, theoretically, as the so-called 

 scalp or piece of jerked meat which was to be placed in the 

 center-pole, and was symbolic of the earth divided into day and 

 night. 



Bull-Tongue and the Lodge-maker continued around the lodge 

 in sunwise circuit until they came to the east entrance; here they 

 entered and Bull-Tongue threw himself by the side of the center- 

 pole and measured as before. The band beneath his outstretched 

 hands was painted red by the Lodge-maker, who moved his hands 

 four times toward the pole before he painted it. Then Bull-Tongue 

 measured with his two hands a space equal in width just above this 

 red band, and, taking the ball of black paint, the Lodge-maker 

 besmeared his hands with it and painted a black band. Thus was 

 added to the sun and full moon symbolism of the center fork the 

 symbols of day and night, or, according to another informant, of 

 the earth and the heavens. The center-pole now is called variously 

 the enemy, the backbone, and the cleansing pole. 



The Fork of the Center-Pole. 



Bundles of dogwood brush were carried down to the fork of the 

 center-pole. Certain Sun Dance priests left their position in the 

 line and went to that point. Bull-Tongue took hold of the fork 

 and turned it so that the prongs of the fork projected upward and 

 downward and at right angles to the earth. Bull-Tongue took the 

 Lodge-maker's hands in his, made four movements toward the first 

 bundle of dogwood brush, and the latter took it up, and turning 

 it so that the butts projected north, made four movements with 

 it and placed it in the fork. Another bundle was picked up with 



