moonet] USE OF MAGPIE FEATHERS 999 



of the latter, and jet black, with the exception of the breast, which is 

 white, and a white, spot on each wing. In its tail arc two long leathers 

 with beautiful changeable metallic luster. It is a home bird, frequent- 

 ing the neighborhood of the Paiute camps in small flocks. It is held 

 sacred among the Paiute, by whom the long tail feathers arc as highly 

 prized for decorative purposes as eagle feathers arc among the tribes 

 of the plains. The standard price for such feathers in 189] was 25 

 cents a pair. The delegates who crossed the mountains to visit the 

 messiah brought back with them quantities of these feathers, which 

 thenceforth tilled an important place in the ceremonial of the Ghost 

 dance. In fact they were so eagerly sought alter that the traders 

 undertook to meet the demand, at first by importing genuine magpie 

 feathers from the mountains, but later by fraudulently substituting 

 selected crow feathers from the east at the same price. 



The song is also peculiar in referring to the messiah as "my mother" 

 (in iik) instead of "our father" (hesunanin), as usual. 



57. Am qa iik 'TAB] xnir ni na 



Ani'qa he'tabi'nuhu ni ua, 

 Ani'qa he tabi nuha ni na. 

 Hatiina'wunfmi'na hesuna nin, 

 Hatana wunfini na hesuna nin. 

 Ha't.ini ni ahn'hi'na he'suna nin, 

 Ha'tani'ni ahu'hi'ua he'sima'nln. 



Translation 



My father, I am poor, 



My father, I am ] r. 



Our father is about to take pity on me, 

 < >ur father is about to take pity on me. 

 Our father is about to make me fly around. 

 Our father is about to make me fly around. 



This song refers to the present impoverished condition of the Indians, 

 and to their hope that he is now about to take pity on them and remove 

 them from this dying world to the new earth above; the feathers worn 

 on their heads in the dance being expected to act as wings, as already 

 explained, to enable them to fly to the upper regions. 



53. Na'nisa'taqu'thi hu'na 



Na 'nisa'taqu thi hu'na — Ilia hi ni ni ' 

 Na'nisa'taqu'thi hu'na — Hi'a hi'ni'ni'! 

 Hi liithi ni na gasi'tu — Ilia hi'ni'ni'! 

 Hi'bithi'ni'na gasi'tu — Hi'a hi'ni'ni'! 



Translation 



The seven crows — //* a In ni ni .' 



The seven crows — 77»'<i hi'ni'ni'! 



They are flying about the oarrion — Hi a In ni ni ' 



They are flying about the carrion — Hi'a hi'ni'ni'! 



