1920.] Lowie, Crow Tobacco Society. 173 



burned there. Each chapter is supposed to erect one of the miniature 

 sudatories. This was confirmed by Old-dog, who said the small sweat- 

 lodges were made as a sweatbath for the Tobacco to make it grow. This 

 informant explained differences I had noted in the several small suda- 

 tories as due to different visions; in this manner one might have two 

 arches crossing five, another merely one crossing another, etc. 



Simms's account of the events following the planting is more specific 

 as to the ritual of the miniature sudatory: 



When the planting has been finished a large sweat-lodge of bent boughs is erected, 

 sufficiently large to accommodate ten or twelve men. This number enter the lodge 

 and repeat, four times, the following song: 



" Say, man, we are going to make a sweat-house." 



The men remain in the lodge for about twenty minutes, when they rush to the 

 river and take a plunge. After thus cleansing themselves they take a number of small 

 willow branches and cover them with grease and charcoal; their ends are then stuck 

 in the earth, in a corner of the planting ground, in such manner as to form the frame- 

 work of a miniature sweat-lodge, in the center of which are put live coals of tire. 

 From the mountains has previously been obtained a root called " bear-root," which 

 is chipped and placed upon the fire; but before this is done the root is held by the 

 ' father ' in his right hand, which he extends successively toward the east, the south, 

 the west, and the north, facing the east all the time, so that when the hand is extended 

 to the west it is necessarily passed over and back of his head, and when extended to 

 the north it is also over the head. From this last position the ' father ' lowers the root 

 with a spiral movement (as a crane alights) toward the fire. This is done four tirnes, 

 each time the hand coming nearer the fire, until, on its fourth descent, the chipped 

 root is placed upon the fire. 



As the incense arises sunward a pipe is filled and lighted by the ' father,' who sends 

 the first whiff toward the sun, at the same time pointing the stem thereto and praying 

 that the people may live long. The next whiff is blown toward the east, the ' father ' 

 at the same time pointing the stem of the pipe downward and praying that the people 

 may have no sickness. If the smoke from the burning bear-root rises straight, prayer- 

 f al petitions are made that the tobacco plant may grow as straight as the smoke, and 

 that the participants and the whole tribe may have no misfortune. 1 



INSPECTION AND HARVEST. 



During the period between the planting and the harvesting a num- 

 ber of rules are observed. The men belonging to the society when smok- 

 ing make a motion outward and upward with their pipes, discontinuing 

 the practice after the harvest. Further, no grass is burned by members. 

 The man who fanned the fire does not permit anyone to move firewood 

 in his lodge and the other members of his chapter observe the same regu- 



iSimms, 334-335. 



