82 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. IX. 



Sacrifice of Food and the Feast. 



By the time the Crier returned, the Lodge-maker's wife had 

 sent to the entrance of the tipi many vessels of food for the evening 

 feast. The Chief Priest took up a piece of meat and tore off a small 

 piece. The root was passed to him. He touched his finger to the 

 ground, put it to his tongue, took a bite of root, spat five times 

 upon the meat and gave it to the Lodge-maker. The latter arose, 

 motioned the meat aloft once and to the east four times and de- 

 posited it on the ground under the sacred pipe. He rubbed his 

 hand over his head and resumed his place in the circle. Thus he 

 sacrificed food to the earth, sun, and four medicine spirits. Food 

 was passed to all the members of the tipi and eaten without cere- 

 mony. The Chief Priest took the sacred pipe, lighted it, offered 

 the stem to the earth, and passed the pipe to the Lodge-maker, thus 

 blessing the Lodge-maker, and through him, for he represents all 

 people, every one.* After the Lodge-maker had smoked, the pipe 

 was passed sunwise about the circle, each taking a few whiffs. It 

 was passed back unsmoked to the Chief Priest, who cleaned the pipe 

 and replaced it on the ground. 



After the feast and the formal smoke, the priests retired to their 

 tipis to remain during the night, except the Lodge -maker and the 

 Chief Priest, who slept in the Lone-tipi during this and the following 

 night. 



EVENTS OUTSIDE THE LONE-TIPI. 



During the day no public rites were performed. There was much 

 feasting and formal visiting among the various warrior organiza- 

 tions, along with a morning feast at which many presents were 

 given away. 



The Spy for the Center-Pole. 



Reference has been made to the fact that Three-Fingers, a priest 

 and chief, had been requested to examine the near-by timber and 

 select a suitable cottonwood-tree to serve as the main or center- 

 pole of the Sun Dance lodge. This Three-Fingers did on the morn- 

 ing of this day, but his act was one of convenience rather than cere- 

 mony. f In 1901, however, on this night, the Lodge-maker carried 



♦Thus he gave to all the world a blessing, and so all will grow strong and live in the midst of 

 abundance. 



fThe formal and ceremonial location of the center-pole by custom falls to the lot of a Chey- 

 enne who has had the distinction when acting as a spy of striking an enemy inside his tipi. As 

 a matter of fact, there were but two Cheyenne living who could lay claim to this distinction, 

 Wolf-Face and Mad-Robe. These men were very old and the formal rite of spying the pole was 

 omitted in 1903. 



