mooney] A NATIVE BLESS1M; 905 



source of his prophetic and clairvoyant inspiration. Tlie buffalo horn 

 was '•( loil's heart." the red feathers contained his own heart, and the 

 circle of claws represented the world. When he prayed for help, his 

 heart communed with "God's heart." and he learned what he wished to 

 know. He had much to say alsoof the moon. Sometimes in his trances 

 he went to the moon and the moon taught him secrets. It must be 

 remembered that sun, moon, stars, and almost every other thing in 

 nature are considered by the Indians as endowed with life and spirit. 

 He claimed an intimate acquaintance with the other world and asserted 

 positively that he could tell me -'just what heaven is like." Another 

 man who accompanied him had a yellow sun with green rays painted on 

 his forehead, with an elaborate rayed crescent in green, red, and yellow 

 on his chin, and wore a necklace from which depended a crucifix and a 

 brass clock-wheel, the latter, as he stated, representing the sun. 



On entering the room where I sat awaiting him, Nishkii'ntu ap- 

 proached and performed mystic passes in front of my face with bis 

 hands, after the manner of the hypnotist priests in the Ghost dance, 

 blowing upon me the while, as he afterward explained to blow evil 

 things away from me before beginning to talk on religious subject s. 

 He was good enough to state also that he had prayed for light before 

 coming, and had found that my heart was good. Laying one hand on 

 my head, and grasping my own hand with the other, he prayed silently 

 for some time with bowed head, and then lifting his hand from my 

 head, he passed it over my face, down my shoulder and arm to the 

 hand, which he grasped and pressed slightly, and then released the 

 fingers with a graceful upward sweep, as in the minuet. The first 

 part of this — the laying of the hands upon the head, afterward draw- 

 ing them down along the face and chest or arms — is the regular 

 Indian form of blessing, reverential gratitude, or prayerful entreaty, 

 and is of frequent occurrence in connection with the Ghost dance, 

 when the believers ask help of the priests or beg the prayers of the 

 older people. The next day about twenty or more Caddo came by on 

 their way to the agency, all dressed and painted for a dance that was 

 to be held that night. They stopped awhile to see us. and on entering 

 the room where we were the whole company, men, women, and children, 

 went through the same ceremony, with each one of the inmates in 

 turn, beginning with Wilson and myself, and ending with the members 

 of the family. The ceremony occupied a considerable time, and was 

 at once beautiful and impressive. Xot a word was said by either 

 party during the while, excepting as someone in excess of devotion 

 would utter prayerful exclamations aloud like the undertone of a 

 litany. Every face wore a look of reverent solemnity, from the old 

 men and women down to little children of C and 8 years. Several of 

 them, the women especially, trembled while praying, as under the 

 excitement of the Ghost dance. The religious greeting being over, 

 the women of the family, with those of the party, went out to prepare 

 the dinner, while the rest remained to listen to the doctrinal discussion. 



