l8 SMITHSONIAN MISL l.;I.L<AN lv(;US COLLECTIONS VOL. 56- 



holds it in the fire, whence it disappears without being destroyed, 

 going into its victim ; or the weasel skin may be caused to disappear 

 by wrapping it in a cover or holding it between the palms and blow- 

 ing a puff of breath on it. A medicine-man tried to demonstrate 

 this to me, but the skin did not disappear, though I was assured that 

 it would disappear in actual practice. 



The weasel was called a "fetich," and this name applies to other 

 animal skins used in the same manner, such as the marten and wolf, 

 or, in fact, whatever animal the medicine-man sees in his dreams 

 and wishes to employ in his practice. The skull and claws are some- 

 times removed from the skins, but generally arc left on. Formerly 

 they were ornamented about the neck and mouth with porcupine 

 quills, but more recently with glass beads. Although a skin is still 

 most popular, there are many other fetiches in use. A beaver's 

 tooth, wound with beads and suspended on a string, is a useful 

 fetich, and is made to disappear and reappear at the convenience 

 of the medicine-man. Small bones are decorated and used in the 

 same manner. A great many medicine-men dig a certain kind of 

 root from the ground which they carry about in their pockets. It 

 appears to be alive and at times grows larger or smaller. Some 

 medicine-men employ the sun, moon, or stars in their songs instead 

 of an animal, while others call upon the trees, birds, brush, or any 

 convenient object. 



The good medicinc-nian works in the opposite way from a bad 

 one; he cures a sick man by drawing the weasel skin out of the 

 ailing part. 1 was shown how it was extracted from the ribs, neck, 

 or head. With the skin concealed up his sleeve, or hidden in his 

 clenched hand, the medicine-man reached to the affected part, whence 

 he jerked it forth in the twinkling of an eye. Sometimes in sickness, 

 when all the friends are assembled to assist the medicine-man in 

 singinj;-, he will hnisli the affected part with his hand as he sings 

 until, with a pulT of breath, he blows the disease away. At other 

 times he will firmly grasp at something invisible and appear to pull 

 it out and throw it into the air, driving it away with a puff of 

 breath. The medicine-man, after extracting the evil spirit, returns 

 to the animal its own spirit and sends the evil spirit back to its 

 original sender, whom it kills, because he sent it first. 



Whenever a sick man dies the bad medicine-man takes back the 

 evil spirit, and these spirits, which he sees only in the form of ani- 

 mals in his dreams or when he sings, are kept for future use. It is 

 believed that a stronger medicine-man can kill a weaker one's ani- 



