by men and women generally that it is common in every- 
day social smoking. 
The cigarette is lighted from a glowing ‘‘smoke-stick”’ 
of Cottonwood (Populus spp.) or other soft wood re- 
moved from the altar-fire and handed around the circle 
(Figure I). Among the Oto, whose cult is organized into 
the Church of the First Born, tobacco has no part what- 
soever in the ceremony. 
Cedar incense (Juniperus virginiana LL.) is next 
sprinkled on the fire by the leader; the participants reach 
out their hands and waft the fragrant smoke towards 
their bodies, rubbing the chest and face. The cedar is 
considered a purifying agent and is used at intervals dur- 
ing the all-night ceremony before or after prayer. The 
paraphernalia are thrust into the smoke occasionally dur- 
ing the ceremony. 
The cotton or beaded-chamois bag containing the pe- 
yote supply is reverently passed around, each person tak- 
ing four buttons without further ceremony. The ‘‘Father 
Peyote’’ is either an exceptionally large and beautiful 
plant or a button handed down from some great leader 
of the past; this is placed in the centre of the crescent- 
shaped altar on across or rosette of sage leaves. Prayers 
are addressed to God through this Father Peyote. 
Meanwhile, each participant is given or removes, from 
the hay serving as a cushion under the blankets, a sprig 
of sage (Artemisia vulgaris L.). In localities where sage 
is plentiful, the cushion may be entirely of sage instead 
of hay mixed with sage; the Wichita near Anadarko, 
Oklahoma, follow this procedure. Rolled between the 
palms, the sage is rubbed all over the body as a purifying 
agent. Itis also used for this purpose in the sweat-house 
8One Kiowa peyote-leader treasured a Father Peyote given to him by 
the great Comanche chief and peyote-leader, Quanna Parker. 
[139 ] 
