70 SPOKANES. 



140. 



KWIT-TEAL-CO-KOO-SUM. 



(Painted 1847.) 



Big Star Chief, a Medicine-man of the Spokanes. Whenever a 

 person is sick, this tribe suppose that the spirit has left the body, 

 and hovers invisibly in the air, until it can be charmed or brought 

 back through the agency of the medicine-man. To accomplish this 

 end, the patient is placed in a sitting posture, enveloped in a buffalo- 

 robe, or other covering, having only the top of the head exposed. 



The medicine-man then commences dancing and singing around 

 the patient, gesticulating mysteriously, and often clutching in the air 

 with his hands, as if in the act of catching something. The spirit is 

 supposed to be attracted by the chant, and to hover near the aper 

 ture at the top of the lodge ; and the dance is often continued for an 

 hour before it can be caught. It is then pressed and rubbed, as the 

 medicine-man pretends, through the patient s skull, whose recovery, 

 if not soon effected, he supposes to be thwarted by his having caught 

 the spirit of some other person ; and it then becomes necessary to 

 undo his work by setting it at liberty, and repeating the performance 

 until the right spirit is caught. 



During my stay among this people much sickness prevailed, and I 

 was often kept awake all night by the wild chant and monotonous 

 drum. 



This chief has four wives, whom he supports in Indian affluence 

 by the successful practice of his art of conjuration. He possesses a 

 countenance of great intelligence, and seemed to doubt my ability to 

 transfer it correctly to the canvas. But the picture proved to be 

 highly satisfactory, and he became my daily visitor, and acknow 

 ledged me to be &quot; big medicine/ 



141. 



KAI-MISH-KON, OR MARKED HEAD. 



Spokane Chief. 



142. 



KAI-ME-TE-KIN, OR MARKED BACK. 

 Spokane Brave. 



