700 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.ahn. 14 



house, tliey went through their devotions in their own tongue, moving 

 their fingers over the inscription that ascends the shaft of the cross. 

 The missionary understood them to state that this cross was their 

 "bible," that they knew that it was not the true bible, but that they 

 had been told to use it until one should come who would give them in 

 exchange the genuine word of God. Thereupon the missionary gath- 

 ered up their crosses — ami there were more than a large basketful of 

 them — and gave in exchange to each a copy of the New Testament. 

 The Indians received the books with profuse expressions of gratitude 

 and apparently viewed them at once as sacred possessions. These 

 wise men from the west then went away to their far country." 



Kunakuk died of smallpox in 1852, in Kansas, where his people had 

 been removed in spite of his eloquent appeals in their behalf. For 

 many years he had been recognized as the chief of his tribe, and as 

 such exerted a most beneficial influence over the Kickapoo in restrain- 

 ing the introduction and use of liquor amoug them. At the same time 

 he stauchly upheld the old Indian idea and resisted every advance of 

 the missionaries and civilization to the last. He was regarded as pos- 

 sessed of supernatural powers, and in his last illness asserted that he 

 would arise again three days after death. In expectation of the fulfill- 

 ment of the prophecy, a number of his followers remained watching 

 near the corpse until they too contracted the contagion and died like- 

 wise. (Conir., 1.) After his death, the decline of his tribe was rapid 

 and without check. In 1894 there remained only 514. about equally 

 divided between Kansas and Oklahoma. These few survivors of a 

 large tribe still hold in loving reverence the name of their chief and 

 prophet. 



PA'THESKE 



llecent personal investigation among the Winnebago failed to de- 

 velop any knowledge of a former doctrine of an approaching destruc- 

 tion of the world, as mentioned in a statement already quoted (see 

 page 661 ). It appeared, however, that at the time indicated, about 1852 

 or 1853, while the tribe was still living on Turkey river, Iowa, a prophet 

 known as Pa'theske, or Long Xose, announced that he had been 

 instructed in a vision to teach his people a new dance, which he called 

 the friendship dance (ehiV'koraki'). This they were to perforin at 

 intervals for one whole year, at the end of which time, in the spring, 

 they must take the warpath against their hereditary enemy, the 

 Sioux, and would then reap a rich harvest of scalps. The dance, as 

 he taught it to them, he claimed to have seen performed by a band of 

 spirits in the other world, whither he had been taken alter a ceremo- 

 nial fast of several days' duration. It (littered from their other dances, 

 and, although warlike in its ultimate purpose, was not a war dance. 

 It was performed by the men alone, circling around a fire within the 

 lodge. He also designated a young man named Sara'minuka, or ■' Indis 

 thief." as the proper one to lead the expedition at the appointed time. 



