May, 1905. 



The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 



»53 



Fig. 87. Dancers whistling toward the center-pole, 1901. 



(SeeFig.87.)The 

 dancing consist- 

 ed chiefly of rais- 

 ing the heel from 

 the ground, thus 

 signifying their 

 desire that the 

 earth may be 

 blessed that all 

 may live. This 

 perform ance 

 was repeated 

 four times and 

 the last course 

 of the Sun Dance 

 proper may be 

 said to have 

 begun. 



The crowd now scattered out, some of the dancers sat down and 

 the painters removed the bunches of sage from their belts, each 

 handing them to the dancers, who placed them at the foot of the 



center-pole. The 

 lancers passed by 

 the Chief Priest 

 and received the 

 spittle in their 

 hands "to give 

 them permanent 

 homes," whereup- 

 on they made a 

 motion as if rub- 

 1 )ing their hands 

 together, down 

 their arms, legs, 

 over their breast 

 and head. Some 

 of the dancers in- 

 stead of receiving 

 the spittle from the priest, performed the rite for themselves, first 

 touching their finger to the ground, then to their tongue, and placing 

 their tongue to a root which was attached to the base of a buffalo 

 tail, held out to them by the Chief Priest. The grandfathers now re- 



FlG. 



Dancers washing off the paint. (Mooney.) 



