﻿ABORIGINAL 
  MOUNDS 
  AND 
  CREEK 
  CUSTOMS 
  SWANTON 
  505 
  

  

  like 
  Dii 
  Pratz 
  and 
  Adair, 
  have 
  spoken 
  of 
  ceremonies 
  as 
  monthly 
  oc- 
  

   currences, 
  but 
  in 
  such 
  general 
  terms 
  that 
  little 
  importance 
  could 
  be 
  

   attached 
  to 
  their 
  remarks. 
  The 
  "green 
  corn 
  dance" 
  was 
  often 
  

   mentioned 
  but 
  the 
  name 
  was 
  applied 
  to 
  very 
  diverse 
  ceremonies, 
  

   many 
  of 
  them 
  of 
  the 
  simplest 
  character, 
  so 
  that 
  little 
  is 
  signified 
  by 
  it. 
  

   Among 
  the 
  Creek 
  Indians, 
  however, 
  the 
  term 
  " 
  green 
  corn 
  dance 
  " 
  

   applies 
  specifically 
  to 
  the 
  busk, 
  or 
  poskita, 
  meaning 
  the 
  "fast," 
  

   which 
  occurred 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  flour 
  corn 
  of 
  the 
  season 
  was 
  ready 
  for 
  

  

  ® 
  « 
  «j 
  

  

  

  Fig. 
  8. 
  — 
  Mound 
  group 
  at 
  Caliokia, 
  111. 
  (Aftt-r 
  Bushnell) 
  

  

  consumption, 
  between 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August. 
  

   In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  my 
  investigations 
  among 
  these 
  Indians, 
  about 
  15 
  

   years 
  ago, 
  I 
  learned 
  that 
  the 
  busk 
  was 
  not 
  an 
  isolated 
  ceremony. 
  It 
  

   was 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  ceremony 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  that 
  indeed 
  with 
  which 
  

   the 
  new 
  year 
  began, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  fourth 
  of 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  rituals 
  spaced 
  

   a 
  month 
  apart 
  and, 
  hence, 
  beginning 
  in 
  April 
  or 
  May. 
  The 
  first 
  

   three 
  were 
  rather 
  local 
  in 
  character 
  and 
  prepared 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  

   main 
  ceremonial 
  to 
  which 
  many 
  persons 
  of 
  related 
  and 
  friendly 
  towns 
  

   were 
  invited. 
  Following 
  the 
  busk, 
  particularly 
  if 
  food 
  were 
  plenti- 
  

  

  