[WILSON] THE SACRIFICIAL RITE OF THE BLACKFOOT IS 



The priest strips the leaves from one or more of the stalks of 

 Artemisia on the altar, and mixing with thie leaves a little of the dried 

 sweet grass, a bit of meat, and a pinch of red earth, he rolls the whole 

 between the palms of his hands into a ball, which he touches to the 

 right foot of the devotee, then passes it to his hand, up the arm to the 

 shoulder, across the back of the neck to the left shoulder, down the 

 arm to the left hand into which he pushes the ball, telling the devotee 

 to grasp it and to apply it to his chest and head. When this is done 

 the ball of Arteanisia leaves is handed to the person sittmg on the 

 immediate left of the priest, who receives it with both hands, and, after 

 handling it in the same maimer, passes it in turn to his left hand 

 neighbour. The ball thus makes a complete circuit of the lodge, through 

 the hands of all adults present, including the women; each person as 

 he or she receives it uttering a scarcely audible prayer for personal 

 good health, etc. When the Artemisia ball, having made the circuit, 

 reaches the hands of the woman sitting on the immiediate right of the 

 host, the priest orders her to take it outsid^e and throw it away. This 

 performance has reference to the method adopted by the Sun in remov- 

 ing the scar from the face of the young man in the myth. The use 

 of meat in the ball is intended to insure against starvation. 



The sacrificer's wife, or some member of his household, now brings 

 forward an ordinary stone pipe which has in the meantime been filled 

 with the smoking mixture before mentioned. Kneeling before the priest, 

 the person bringing the pipe presents it to him, and remaining on the 

 knees devoutly awaits his blessing. The priest receives the pipe with 

 both hands, one grasping the wooden stem, the other holding the stone 

 bowl, and holding it in front of him with the mouthpiece pointing 

 upward and forward, he prays aloud to the Sun, asking for general 

 blessings. Turning the stem downward until the mouthpiece touches 

 the ground in front of him, the priest concludes his prayer with a few 

 sentences addiiessed to the Earth Person, and then passes the pipe to 

 the host, who lights it with a coal from the fire, takes a few whiiïs and 

 hands it back. The priest puffs at the pipe for a moment until the 

 smoke emits in full volume, then he blows one whiff of smoke upward 

 to the Sun, onje downward to the Earth, and after smoking a short while 

 passes the pipe to his left hand neighbour, after which it is used by 

 every male guest as far as the entrance of the lodge, past which it is 

 never handed. When the smoker sitting next the «ntrance finishes with 

 the pipe he gives it back to his right hand neighbour and thus it is 

 passed back to the man on the extreme right, no one smoking it when 

 it is going towards the right unless he be a " calumet man," the owner 



