438 A STUDY OV SIOUAN CULTS. 



This plausible distinctiou has been made by persons of different 

 nations at various periods in the world's bistory, but it seems to be of 

 doubtful value. 



USE OF PAINT IX WORSHIP. 



§ 105. In tlie worsliip of tlieir deities paint forms an important feature. 

 Scarlet or red is the religious color for sacrifices, wbile blue is used by 

 the women in many of the ceremonies in which they ijarticipate (^§ 37-i, 

 375). This, however, is not a constant distinction of sex, for the women 

 ftequeutly use red or scarlet. The use of paints the Dakotas aver was 

 taught them by the gods.' 



For accounts of the Sun-dance and a sacrifice to the Dawn, see §§ 141, 

 211, 215. 



THE UNKTEHI, OR SUBAQUATIC AND SUBTERRANEAN POWERS. 



§ 106. The gods of this name, for there are many, are the most powerfiil 

 of all. In their external form they are said to resemble the ox, only 

 they are of immense proportions. They can extend their horns and 

 tails so as to reach the skies. These are the organs of their power. 

 According to one account the Unktelii inhabit all deep waters, and 

 especially all great waterfalls. Two hundred and eleven years ago, 

 when Hennepin and Du Luth saw the Falls of St. Anthony together, 

 there were some buffalo robes hauging there as sacrifices to the UukteUi 

 of the ])laee.^ 



§ 107. Another account written by the same author informs us that 

 the male Unktehi dwell in the water, and the spirits of the females 

 animate the earth. Hence, when the Dakota seems to be oftering 

 sacrifices to the water or the earth, it is to this family of gods that the 

 worship is rendered. They address the males as ''graudfathers," and 

 the females as "graudmothers." It is believed that one of these gods 

 dwells under the Falls of St. Anthony, in a den of great dimensions, 

 which is constructed of iron.' 



§ 108. " The word Unktehi defies analysis, only the latter part giving 

 us the idea of difficult [sic], and so nothing can be gathered from the 

 name itself of the functions of these gods. But Indian legend generally 

 describes the genesis of the earth as from the water. Some animal, as 

 the beaver [compare the Iowa and Oto Beaver gentes, Paca and Paqga. — 

 J. o. D.] living in the waters, brought up, from a great depth, mud to 

 build dry land.'"' According to the Dakota cosmogony, this was done 

 by the Unktelii, called in the Teton dialect Uuktcexila or Uykcegila. 

 (Compare the Winnebago, Waktceqi ikikaratcada or water-monster 

 gens, and the Wakaudagi of the Omaha and Ponka, see §§7,77). 



'Lynd, Minn. Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. ii. pt. 2, p. 80. 

 'Eigg.s, in Am. Antiq., vol. ir, p. 266. 



■Eiffgs, Tab-too Wah-kon, p. 62. See Maza or Iron names of ludian.s in tlie author's fortlironiing 

 monograph on Indian Personal Xames. 

 *Eigga, iu Am. Antiq., vol. ii, p. 267. 



