THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 



Here one may see figures in life size of dancers in the 

 various Arapaho Age Societies, gorgeous war bonnets, 

 models of shelters and methods of cooking, peculiar types 

 of baby boards, women's dresses decorated with shells, 

 weapons and many kinds of decorated articles of dress. 



The center of the hall contains an unusually interesting 

 Blackfoot Indian tipi, fitted up to show the home life of 

 these Indians. The paintings on the sides of the tipi are 

 those of otters and are supposed to represent a vision of 

 the owner. This tipi was made in 1874 and was used for 

 some time by Heavy Runner, a noted Blackfoot Indian. 



In other parts of the hall will be found a genuine medi- 

 cine pipe from the Blackfoot Indians, and a model of the 

 Sun Dance * of the Arapaho Indians. 



* The Sun Dance is a ceremonial which is found among most 

 of the Indian tribes of the Plains. The Arapaho call it Worship 

 Dance or Sacrifice Lodge. It is held annually in early summer, 

 in fulfilment of a vow made during the preceding winter by some 

 member of the tribe who wishes a sick relative to recover. This 

 man, who is accompanied by his wife, is the most important of 

 the dancers. He is placed in the middle of the semicircle of 

 dancers and is painted white. The dance lasts three days and 

 three nights, and during this time the dancers neither eat nor 

 drink. Singing and drumming continue most of the time even 

 at night. The dancers are expected to exert themselves to the 

 utmost to prove their devotion. On the last day they are often 

 overcome by heat and thirst, but they are not allowed to drop out 

 of the dance. The dancing consists in regularly rising on the 

 toes and looking fixedly at the fork of the sacred tree in the cen- 

 ter of the lodge. All the dancers are in charge of old men, who 

 are called their "grandfathers." These attend them, instruct 

 them how to act, and sit by them almost continuously. The en- 



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