﻿2 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  67 
  

  

  at 
  results 
  as 
  important 
  and 
  correct 
  as 
  those 
  achieved 
  by 
  other 
  races 
  

   in 
  a 
  higher 
  state 
  of 
  cultural 
  advancement. 
  

  

  RELIGION 
  OF 
  THE 
  INDIANS 
  

  

  The 
  Indians 
  believed 
  in 
  an 
  enormous 
  number 
  of 
  spirits 
  existing 
  

   throughout 
  nature. 
  These 
  spirits 
  were 
  of 
  varying 
  power, 
  and 
  many 
  

   tribes 
  entertained 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  a 
  superior 
  or 
  supreme 
  deity 
  associated 
  

   with 
  the 
  sky 
  or 
  the 
  sun. 
  This 
  conception 
  is 
  evidently 
  the 
  basis 
  

   for 
  the 
  notion 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  spirit 
  generally 
  attributed 
  to 
  the 
  Indians 
  

   by 
  the 
  whites. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  spirits 
  were 
  considered 
  wholly 
  good 
  

   and 
  some 
  wholly 
  bad, 
  but 
  as 
  often, 
  or 
  rather 
  more 
  often, 
  a 
  spirit 
  

   might 
  be 
  propitious 
  or 
  malevolent 
  depending 
  on 
  circumstances. 
  The 
  

   Indians 
  recognized 
  these 
  spirits 
  in 
  dreams 
  ; 
  in 
  numberless 
  signs 
  and 
  

   omens 
  among 
  birds 
  and 
  beasts; 
  they 
  heard 
  them 
  talk 
  in 
  tempests; 
  

   they 
  saw 
  them 
  in 
  dark 
  clouds; 
  they 
  beset 
  them 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  

   possible 
  angry 
  sound 
  which 
  the 
  jarring 
  elements 
  made; 
  and 
  they 
  

   were 
  even 
  embodied 
  in 
  the 
  insects 
  which 
  crept 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  The 
  idea 
  of 
  magic 
  power, 
  exerted 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  spirits 
  or 
  through 
  

   other 
  occult 
  powers 
  of 
  nature, 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  fundamental 
  concepts 
  

   bearing 
  on 
  the 
  religious 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  Indians. 
  It 
  existed 
  among 
  all 
  

   the 
  tribes. 
  That 
  this 
  magic 
  power 
  could 
  influence 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  man, 
  

   and 
  could 
  in 
  turn 
  be 
  influenced 
  by 
  human 
  activity, 
  was 
  the 
  common 
  

   belief. 
  This 
  belief 
  in 
  magic 
  power 
  being 
  strong 
  in 
  the 
  Indian 
  mind, 
  

   all 
  his 
  actions 
  were 
  regulated 
  by 
  the 
  desire 
  to 
  maintain 
  control 
  

   over 
  it. 
  

  

  MEDICINE 
  OF 
  THE 
  INDIANS 
  

  

  The 
  following, 
  concerning 
  the 
  medicine 
  of 
  the 
  Indians, 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  American 
  Ethnology's 
  Bulletin 
  30. 
  Handbook 
  of 
  American 
  

   Indians 
  : 
  

  

  In 
  general 
  the 
  tribes 
  show 
  many 
  similarities 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  medicine, 
  but 
  the 
  

   actual 
  agents 
  employed 
  differ 
  with 
  the 
  tribes 
  and 
  localities, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  with 
  

   individual 
  healers. 
  Magic, 
  prayers, 
  songs, 
  exhortation, 
  suggestion, 
  ceremonies, 
  

   fetiches, 
  and 
  certain 
  specifics 
  and 
  mechanical 
  processes 
  ai"e 
  employed 
  only 
  

   by 
  the 
  medicine 
  men 
  or 
  medicine 
  women 
  ; 
  other 
  specific 
  remedies 
  or 
  procedures 
  

   are 
  proprietary, 
  generally 
  among 
  a 
  few 
  old 
  women 
  in 
  the 
  tribe 
  ; 
  while 
  many 
  

   vegetal 
  remedies 
  and 
  simple 
  manipulations 
  are 
  of 
  common 
  knowledge 
  in 
  a 
  

   given 
  locality. 
  

  

  The 
  employment 
  of 
  magic 
  consists 
  in 
  opposing 
  a 
  supposed 
  malign 
  influence, 
  

   such 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  sorcerer, 
  spirits 
  of 
  the 
  dead, 
  mythic 
  animals, 
  etc., 
  by 
  the 
  

   supernatural 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  healer's 
  fetiches 
  and 
  other 
  means. 
  Prayers 
  are 
  

   addressed 
  to 
  benevolent 
  deities 
  and 
  spirits, 
  invoking 
  their 
  aid. 
  Healing 
  songs, 
  

   consisting 
  of 
  prayers 
  or 
  exhortations, 
  are 
  sung. 
  Harangues 
  are 
  directed 
  to 
  evil 
  

   spirits 
  supposed 
  to 
  cause 
  the 
  sickness, 
  and 
  often 
  are 
  accentuated 
  by 
  noises 
  

   to 
  frighten 
  such 
  spirits 
  away. 
  Suggestion 
  is 
  exercised 
  in 
  many 
  ways 
  directly 
  

   and 
  indirectly. 
  Curative 
  ceremonies 
  usually 
  combine 
  all 
  or 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   agencies 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  