moonev] THE ARAPAIID SACRED PIPE 961 



so far relaxed that its present guardian sometimes rides on horseback 

 while carrying the pipe, but even then he carries the bundle upon 

 his own hack instead of upon the saddle, lie never rides in a wagon 

 with it. Hiuce the tribe is permanently divided under the modern 

 reservation system, individuals or small parties of the southern Arapaho 

 frequently make the long journey by railroad and stage to the reser- 

 vation in Wyoming in order to see and pray over the seicha, as it is 

 impossible, on account of the ceremonial regulations, for the keeper to 

 bring it down to them in the south. 



So far as known, only one white man, Air J. Roberts, formerly super- 

 intendent of the Arapaho school in Wyoming, has ever seen the sacred 

 pipe, which was shown to him on one occasion by Weasel Bear as a 

 special mark of gratitude in return for some kindness. After having 

 spent several months among the southern Arapaho, from whom I 

 learned the songs of the pipe with much as to its sacred history, I 

 visited the messiah in Nevada and then went to the northern Arapaho 

 in Wyoming, with great hope of seeing the seicha and hearing the tradi- 

 tion in full. On the strength of my intimate acquaintance with their 

 relatives in the, south and with their great messiah in the west, the 

 chiefs and head-men were favorable to my purpose and encouraged mi' 

 to hope, but on going out to the camp in the mountains, where nearly 

 the whole tribe was then assembled cutting wood, my hopes were dashed 

 to the ground the first night by hearing the old priest, Weasel Bear, 

 making the public announcement in a loud voice throughout the camp 

 that a white man was among them to learn about their sacred things, 

 but that these belonged to the religion of the Indian and a white man 

 had no business to ask about them. The chief and those who had 

 been delegates to the messiah came in soon after to the tipi where 1 

 was stopping, to express their deep regret, but they were unable to 

 change the resolution of Weasel Bear, and none of themselves would 

 venture to repeat the tradition. 



3. Ate hi": nXwu nam - 



Ate' be tiawu'nanu', nii'nisa'na, 

 Ate'bS tiawu'nanu', nU'nisa'na, 



Ni'athu'a', Ni'athu'a', 

 Ni'binu' j_ r a awa'ti'na, 

 Ni Mnn ga awa'ti'na. 



Translation 



My children, when at first I liked the whites, 

 My children, when at first I liked the whites, 

 I gave them fruits, 

 I gave them fruits. 



This song referring to the whites was composed by Nawat or Left 

 Hand, chief of the southern Arapaho. and can hardly be considered 

 dangerous or treasonable in character. According to his statement, in 



