SOURCE 0^ ST. Peter's river. 391 



The Dacotas have a very simple system of religion. 

 They believe in the existence of a Supreme Being, and of 

 a number of subordinate ones, whose powers, privileges, and 

 attributes vary much. The Supreme Being is by them called 

 Wahkan Tanka, or Great Spirit. They worship him, consi- 

 dering him as the Creator of all things that exist, and as the 

 Ruler and Disposer of the Universe ; they hold him to be the 

 source of all good, and the cause of no evil whatever. The 

 next spirit in respect to powei', is the Wahkan Shecha, or 

 evil spirit ; his influence is far less extensive than that of 

 the Wahkan Tanka, and it is exclusively exerted in the 

 performance of evil. He is co-eternal with the former, in- 

 capable of doing any good, the promoter of all wars, strifes, 

 &c. Although partially under the control of the Great 

 Spirit, yet it is not in the power of the latter entirely to 

 check him. Their third divinity is the Thunder, for which 

 they have the greatest awe. They fix its residence to the 

 west, and some believe it to dwell upon the summit of the 

 Rocky Mountains. It is almost unnecessary to add, that 

 all thunder storms in that section of the country, proceed 

 from the west. To each of these spirits they extend their 

 worship. It has been incorrectly stated of the Dacotas that 

 they do not worship the Supreme Being, thinking it un- 

 necessary to supplicate an all-bountiful power. On the 

 contrary, they offer sacrifices to the Great Spirit, in grati- 

 tude for favours received. In sacrificing to the evil spirit, 

 their object is to propitiate him, to induce him to avert his 

 anger from them, or to extend to them his support in war. 

 But it is the Thunder which is considered as the main 

 agent in warlike operations, and to it do they chiefly 

 apply for victory. Sacrifices to these three powers are of- 

 fered nearly in the same manner. They begin by elevat- 

 ing a pipe towards the spirit. He who gives or ordains the 



