134 THE SI A. 



The imexpressed idea is that the chihl is to be received upon its saud 

 bed, which is symbolic of the lap of its mother earth. That it will be 

 as oue without eyes, and it will uot know its father's Ko'pishtaia. May 

 the Ko'pishtaia make its heart to know them. 



Free translation : " Here is the child's sand bed. May the child have 

 good thoughts and know its mother earth, the giver of food. May it 

 have good thoughts and grow from childhood to manhood. May the 

 child be beautiful and hapi)y. Here is the child's bed; may the child 

 be beautiful and happy. Ashes man, let me make good medicine for 

 the child. We will receive the child into our arms, that it may be 

 happy aud contented. May it grow from childhood to manhood. May 

 it know its mother tJt's6t, the Ko'pishtaia, and its mother earth. May 

 the child have good thoughts and gi'ow from childhood to manhood. 

 May it be beautiful and happy." 



He then gave a pinch of the powdered-plant medicine to the woman 

 for the good health of the woman and child, and her mother, lifting 

 ashes from the fireplace with her right band, deposited them upon the 

 floor ill front of the woman. The father, then, standing, dipped the 

 ashes with his eagle plumes, holding one in either hand, aud, striking 

 the under side of the plume held in the left hand with the one held in 

 right, threw the ashes to the cardinal points. Each time, after throw- 

 ing the ashes, he jiassed the plumes down each side of the woman. 

 When the plumes are struck the ho'naaite says: Mish"cha hiitch"se 

 kotawa ohwichaini u'wak — "Ashes man, permit me to make good 

 medicine for the child." 



The ho'naaite discovers the diseased parts of the body through the 

 instrumentality of ashes, and with the scattering of ashes to the car- 

 dinal points, physical and mental impurities are cast from those pres- 

 ent and the chamber is also purified. 



Again the sprinkling of the ashes was repeated, but instead of run- 

 ning the plumes down each side of the woman, the ho'naaite held them 

 in his right hand while he stood to the right of the woman and, point- 

 ing the feather ends down, began at the top of the head and passed 

 the plumes in a direct line in front and down the center of the body, 

 with a prayer for the safe delivery of the child. At the close of this 

 ceremony the doctress stood to the right side of the woman, and, pla- 

 cing the tip end of the corn to the top of her head, blew upon it and 

 passed that also in a straight line down the center of the body, with a 

 prayer that the child might pass through the road of life promptly and 

 safely. This was repeated four times, when the doctress returned to 

 her seat. The ho'naaite then ottered a short prayer and placed a pinch 

 of medicine in the woman's mouth, after which he left the house and 

 went to the end of the placlta and sprinkled meal to the east, praying 

 that the sun father might bestow blessings upon the child. In a short 

 time the woman passed down the long room, apparently in considera- 

 ble pain, but bearing herself with dignified composure. Her mother 



