MATO TIPI THE SUN AND MOON. 



449 



taiu had inauy large rotks on it, and a pine forest at the summit. The children 

 jprayed to the rocks as if to their guardian S])irits, and then placed some of the smaller 

 ones between the branches of the pine trees. I was caused to put a stone up a 





Fio. 188.— Bear Butte, South Dakota. (Copyright by Grabill, 1890.) 



tree. Some trees had as many as seven stones apiece. No child repeated the cere- 

 mony of putting a stone uj) in the tree ; but on subsequent visits to the Butte he or 

 she wailed for the dead, of whom the stones were tokens." (See § 304.) 



THE SUN AND MOON. 



§ 138. The sun as well as the moou is called " wi" by the Dakota and 

 Assiiiiboin tribes. In order to distinguish between the two bodies, the 

 former is called aypetu wi, day moon, and the latter, liaijhepi wi or 

 hayyetu wi, night moon. The corresponding term in (/!egiha is mi", 

 which is applied to both sun and moon, though the latter is sometimes 

 called nia"ba. "The moon is worshiped rather as the representative 

 of the sun, than separately. Thus, in the sun dance, which is held in 

 the full of the moon, the dancers at night fix their eyes on her.'" 



§ 139. According to Smet'' — 



The sun is worshiped by the greater number of the Indian tribes as the author of 

 light and heat. The Assiniboius consider it likewise to be the favorite residence of 

 the Master of Life. They evidence a great respect and veneration for the sun, but 

 rarely address it. On great occasions, they offer it their prayers, but only in a low 

 tone. Whenever they light the calumet, they oft'er the sun the first whiffs of its 

 smoke. 



This last must refer to what Smet describes on p. 136 as the great 

 "festival lasting several days," during which the "high priest" offers 

 the calumet to " the Great Spirit, to the sun, to each of the four car- 

 dinal points, to the water, and to the land, with words analogous to the 

 benefits which they obtain from each. 



11 ETH- 



-29 



'Eiggs, Tah-kiio Wah-kon. p. 69. 

 ^Western Missiona and lligsionaries, p. 138. 



