MICHELSON] OWL SACRED PACK OF THE FOX INDIANS 19 
those women who are invited, are the ones who hum. Now as for 
those women who celebrate the gens festival, they are not present 
when a gens festival is given in winter: men are the only ones who 
sing there. 
Boys indeed are the only ones who are seated within. 
Pumpkins are not the first things to be eaten inside; it is merely 
a kind of meat eaten only at a gens festival. And a hickory stick 
is sharpened at the point; and from time to time it (is used to do) 
the forking. At a gens festival a ceremonial attendant from time to 
time does the forking. But after the gens festival is indeed finished, 
these forks are burned. Moreover, the bones are constantly burned at 
a winter gens festival. At dancing occasions, then the bones are not 
burned; they are taken a far distance and thrown away at the foot of 
an oak tree on the north side where no sunlight will strike. This is 
what they do. 
Now when they go on the warpath, the leader constantly blows 
this flute early in the morning; before sunrise is when he blows it; 
and at noon he blows it; and after sunset. Then they camp. If they 
are at war with each other, and if he really blows this flute, then they 
will overpower their foes. Sometimes, it is said, this flute will not 
sound. Then, it is said, if this is the case, it is very certain, it is 
said, that they are overpowered. (The flute) is in nowise ruined 
(though they think it is), And then if any one is angered and is to 
be feared, should (the leader) come actually with his flute, if he 
blows it there, then indeed something will befall (the man). Very 
likely, they say, he might break his bow, (or) he would get nervous 
in some way like this. 
And then the snapping turtle and tortoise are placed side by side 
(lengthwise), and this owl should be laid directly in the rear (of them). 
The catlinite pipe should remain at home. An extremely old man 
is the one who should contrive to be there with it, not a young man, 
but an old man is the one who should contrive to be withit. But as 
long as those on the warpath are away, so long shall the man contrive 
not to go anywhere. He should remain steadily on the spot unless 
indeed he goes out for toilet purposes: for so long is he permitted to 
go out. And then he should manage to use this song every noon: 
It is he, it is he, who has the spirit of an owl; 
A person 
Who has the spirit of an ow]; it is he, it is he.! 
As long indeed as those on the warpath are away, this old man keeps 
on using this one song. This song is called “Stay-alone song.”’ 
1 The man sings how he was blessed, referring to the owl. The man is talking about himself. He has 
the spirit ofan owl by his blessing. 
