960 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.ann.14 



and in the presence of but a small number of witnesses, who take this 

 opportunity to .smoke the sacred pipe and pray for the things which 

 they most desire. The pipe itself is of stone, and is described as appar- 

 ently made in double, one part being laid over the other like the bark 

 of a tree, the outer part of both bowl and stem being of the regular red 

 pipestone, while the inner part of both is of white stone. The stem is 

 only about 10 inches long, while the bowl is large and heavy, with the 

 characteristic projection Ibr resting the end upon the ground. Both 

 bowl and stem are rounded, but with a flange of perhaps an inch in 

 width along each side of the stem and up along the bowl. From this 

 comes its name of seicha, or "flat pipe." When exposed on such occa- 

 sions, the devotees sit around the tire in a circle, when the bundle is 

 opened upon the ground so that all may see the sacred objects. The 

 medicine keeper then lights the pipe and after taking one or two whirl's 

 passes it to the one next him, who takes a single whiff and passes it 

 on to the next. It thus goes sunwise (?) around the circle. In taking 

 the seicha the devotees do not grasp the stem, as when smoking on 

 other occasions, but receive it upon the outstretched palm of the right 

 hand, smoke, and pass it on around the circle. The flanges along the 

 side of the pipe allow it to rest flat upon the hand. After all have 

 smoked, the priest recites the genesis myth of the origin of the land, 

 and the manner in which the pipe and the corn were given to their 

 ancestors. The corresponding myth of the Cheyenne occupies ''four 

 smokes'' (i. e., four consecutive nights) in the delivery, but I am unable 

 to state whether or not this is the case with the Arapaho. So sacred 

 is this tradition held that no one but the priest of the pipe dares to 

 recite it, for fear of divine punishment should the slightest error be 

 made in the narration. At the close of the recital the devotees send np 

 their prayers for the blessings of which they stand most in need, after 

 which the priest again carefully wraps up the sacred objects in the skins. 

 Before leaving the lodge the worshipers cover the bundle with their 

 offerings of blankets or other valuables, which are taken by the medi- 

 cine keeper as his fee. 



When encamped in the tribal circle, the sacred pipe and its keeper 

 occupied a large tipi, reserved especially for this purpose, which was 

 set up within the circle and near its western line, directly opposite the 

 doorway on the east. In the center of the circle, between the doorway 

 and the sacred tipi, was erected the sweat-house of the Chi'nachi- 

 flii >tt' no or old men of the highest degree of the warrior order. The 

 taking down of the sacred tipi by the attendants of the pipe keeper 

 was the signal for moving cam]), and no other tipi was allowed to 

 be taken down before it. When on the inarch, the pipe keeper pro- 

 ceeded on foot — never on horse — carrying the sacred bundle upon his 

 back and attended by a retinue of guards. As a matter of course, 

 the sacred pipe was not carried by war parties or on other expedi- 

 tions requiring celerity of movement. Of late years the rules have 



