March, 1905. The Cheyenne — Dorsey. 31 



that power, plenty, and fortune may come to him. Next the chief 

 priest takes meat from the ribs of a beef and cuts it in the form of a 

 star, in the center of which he represents a person ; then with an arrow 

 he pierces the meat, and lays the meat and arrow aside. The Earth 

 peg, called the "center-pole peg," is next painted, the point red 

 and the head black. From a piece of rawhide is cut an image of 

 an armless man, about twelve inches long, with an eagle breath feather 

 tied to its head, and a sinew string, about four feet long, attached 

 to its back. This figure, representing other tribes of people, is called 

 the "center-pole man," and is suspended from the center-pole. 

 The sacred pipe, filled with tobacco, is also painted, and is placed 

 by the side of the painted skull and in front of it. While the 

 priests and medicine-men are performing the ceremony inside of 

 the Lone-tipi, and preparing the Lodge-maker and his wife for their 

 entrance into the Medicine-lodge, the others are bringing to the 

 place selected for it the center-pole and other poles for its con- 

 struction. 



The Lodge-maker's wife bears the buffalo skull out of the Lone- 

 tipi, followed by the Lodge-maker with the sacred pipe, the chief 

 priest, and the other priests. The woman holds the buffalo skull 

 out to one side and in front of her. She advances slowly in a stooping 

 position, stops three times to rest, and finally comes to a place about 

 thirty paces from the Lone-tipi. There all sit in a row, with the 

 skull directly in front of them. The woman sits directly back of 

 the skull, the chief priest at her side. To the left of the skull rests 

 the sacred pipe, to the left of the pipe the incense. Sacrifices and 

 offerings are brought in and placed by the side of the skull. Every- 

 thing is ready. The offerings are brought in. The thunder- 

 bird's nest is tied in the fork of the center-pole, and gifts are tie«1 

 to its prongs. The human image is attached to the pole, and the 

 arrow and peg are placed in the thunder-bird's nest. The offerings 

 are tied to the forks alone. The center-pole is now painted, and the 

 chief priest and the Lodge-maker step upon it. In the mean time 

 a hole is dug in the ground to receive it. First the center-pole is 

 painted with a band of red about six inches wide, then a band of black 

 of the same width, the bands being about four to five feet from the 

 surface of the ground after the pole is erect. Of the four top poles, 

 the two south -poles are painted red, while the two north poles are 

 painted black, the symbol for clouds. 



Everything being in readiness, the woman, the chief priest, and 

 the other priests all rise and approach the lodge, and they stop im- 

 mediately back of the skull. As the sacred pipe song is sung, the 



