132 Anthropological Papers American Museum of NaturaMIistory. [Vol. XXI, 



Gray-bull says that eagle feather fans are not peculiar to this chap- 

 ter, although from Arm-round -the-neck's statement it would appear so. 

 Perhaps they were originally associated with the Eagles and borrowed 

 by other branches. Old-dog says they were sacred and were to be moved 

 in different ways during the dance. The wrapping of the handle is 

 decorated with beads. 



I ADOPTION. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT. 



As explained, the right to plant Tobacco depends on membership in 

 the society, which must be acquired by adoption. The adopter stands 

 towards the novice in a parental relationship, which is expressed in a 

 variety of phrases used in this connection. Thus, the adopter is called 

 the akse, parent, of the initiate and the entire proceedings are desig- 

 nated as dakbi^uz., child-having. " He adopted me" is mi rtikek' ' , i.e., 

 ''he made me his child; and to express the idea that he and his wife were 

 initiated together an informant said, mi dpa witi'k' uk' , "in my company 

 they caused her to be born." 



Certain other relationships logically follow from this view of adop- 

 tion. Gray-bull was adopted by White-stripe-across-the-face, who in 

 turn had betn adopted by Bell-rock; he regards and addresses these 

 men as 'father' (ax't) and 'grandfather' (axk iscfke), respectively, while 

 the wives of 'grandfathers' are called 'grandmothers/ masa'Mare. This 

 mode of regarding ceremonial relationships seems to be general, but 

 for the following I have a& yet no corroborative evidence from other 

 witnesses. Of the four men who gave him songs during his initiation, 

 Gray-bull considered three his 'grandfathers': only Raise-up he re- 

 garded as his 'father' because he was about Gray-bull's age. Gray-bull 

 adds that generally he addressed all those older than himself and older 

 in membership as 'father,' or 'mother,' while those of about his own age 

 were 'brother' and 'sister' to him. Individuals adopted into the chapter 

 after his initiation addressed him either as 'elder brother' or as 

 'father,' aecording to their own age. Those adopted during the same 

 season were, in a sense, joking-relatives; 1 however, they only joked if a 

 man took back horses he had offered as a present to those adopting him, 

 or was guilty of some similar breach of etiquette. 



iSeeLowie, (a), 204. 



