March, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 5 



the medicine-men living at the time of the real Prophet. No one 

 but the Prophet and the medicine-men know about this. 



The Cheyenne of to-day perform this Medicine-Arrow ceremony 

 exactly the way it was performed thousands of years ago. They 

 perform the ceremony annually. This ceremonial meeting is gener- 

 ally pledged or vowed by some member of the tribe. According 

 to the ruling of the original Prophet, this is a religious gathering, 

 where every family in the Cheyenne tribe must be represented in 

 the camp. This ceremony means reformation in general, and the 

 whole tribe, band, family, individual, change for the better. Their 

 courage and life are renewed. When the man who pledges this 

 ceremony has set a certain day and place, he goes to the Prophet, 

 the Arrow-Keeper, and his assistants, and notifies them. They pray 

 for him, and dress him in a buffalo robe, place a pipe in his hand, 

 and paint his body red. He then starts out to notify the other 

 medicine-men. When he reaches the medicine-men he presents 

 his pipe to them, and then the medicine-men go out and call in all 

 the warriors. After they are gathered, and the coming event is ex- 

 plained to them, the pipe is lighted and smoked by every warrior 

 who desires to go. Every one who smokes it pledges himself that 

 he will attend the ceremony. The pledger then goes on to visit and 

 notify the different bands of Cheyenne. He is gone several days, 

 as there are four large bands in the tribe. When he visits the bands, 

 each band presents him with some contribution for, the coming cere- 

 mony. Then he goes back to the Arrow-Keeper, and informs him 

 that he is ready. The whole tribe then moves, and assembles at 

 some quiet place selected beforehand, where no other people will 

 bother them. They put up their camp in a new moon circle, the 

 space or opening of this circle facing in the direction least likely to 

 be approached. The space or opening of this medicine -arrow camp 

 is rather larger than the opening of other camp circles of the tribe. 

 No one, not even animals, are allowed to pass in front of the open- 

 ing, for it is sacred as long as the ceremony lasts. 



First Day* — The man who makes the ceremony puts his tipi 

 up in the middle front of the camp. After he puts it up it is then 

 called the place of sacrifice to the Great Medicine, and the people 

 take to the tipi calicoes or anything they desire to contribute for this 

 worship. Usually a half -day is allowed to make these offerings. After 

 that the assistant medicine-men take these offerings and tie them to- 

 gether and hang them outside of the tipi, just over the door or en- 



*Much of the information here presented was obtained by Mr. Davis daring the ceremony 

 held on November 24-27, igo2, which was pledged by White Thunder on the death of his wife. 



