1920.] Loivie, Crow Tobacco Society. 117 



STRAWBERRY CHAPTER. 



This chapter originated in a vision by Medicine-crow and through 

 his influence has become one of the most important branches of the 

 society. Its development may be regarded as typical. 



When Medicine-crow was still a young man, he fasted and prayed for four days 

 on the west bank of the Yellowstone, near the Old Agency. He cut off a finger joint 

 and offered it to the Sun. "Sun, look at me, I am poor. I wish to own horses. Make 

 me wealthy. This is why I give you my little finger." The blood poured down. He 

 fell dead. Towards dawn he saw a young man and a young woman coming from the 

 west. They stood before him, and said, "We have seen that you are a poor man, and 

 we have come to see what we can do for you." Each held in one hand a hoop, which 

 was decorated with feathers painted red, and in the other hand a hoop of strawberries. 

 Looking more closely, Medicine-crow saw that each also had a Tobacco 'cherry' 

 and a strawberry tied to the back of the head, as well as the entire body of a red- 

 headed woodpecker. The woman said, "We have come here to let him hear some- 

 thing." Medicine-crow said to himself, "I wonder what it is that they wish to show 

 me." The young man went to the other side of the ridge, but soon reappeared with 

 a herd of horses. He drove them up to Medicine-crow. The young woman said, 

 "Wait, I will go- and bring some too." She went over the hill, and returned with a 

 fairly large herd of horses. She said, "My child, I have shown you a good thing." 

 Both said, "We have shown you twenty head of horses." These two young people 

 were the Tobacco plant (i'tsi'tse) itself; they wore wreaths round the head. It said, 

 "I have shown you all these horses. I am the Tobacco. I want you to join the 

 Tobacco with these crowns." The man said, "Look at this young woman, she is 

 Walks-with-her-dress." Later, Medicine-crow gave this name to my interpreter's 

 little girl. The young woman, half of whose face was painted red, said, "Do not bring 

 any guns. We are going to have the Tobacco planting. I am afraid of a gun." So 

 nowadays no guns are used in connection with the ceremony, and shooting is not 

 permitted. All of Medicine-crow's adoptive children wear crowns of the type shown 

 in the vision. After a while he came to. The people came after him, and took him 

 home, for he was weak from loss of blood. Subsequently he really came to own a 

 great many horses. After he had received this revelation he was adopted by the 

 Otters, gave prominence to his individual vision, and made the organization into the 

 Strawberry chapter. This may, however, apply only to the Lodge Grass district. 



As founder of the chapter Medicine-crow naturally occupies an 

 altogether unique position in it. He is the chief Mixer, assisted by Old- 

 dog and in 1912 by Bright-wing as well. According to Old-dog the founder 

 still remained Mixer because he was permitted to sell the privilege four 

 times. 1 In the planting Medicine-crow's wife used to be the leader, but 

 she sold the office to Bright-wing's wife for a horse. Medicine-crow and 

 Old-dog paint the male members of the chapter, and their wives the 

 women. Medicine-crow, of course, dreamt the paint and transferred the 



VBread, however, suggests that the mixing privilege held by Medicine-crow subsequently to the 

 sale has nothing to do with his vision but was acquired from someone else. 



