452 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



§ 147. Bules observed by the derotec. — During the time of preparation 

 the devotee goes hunting, and if he kills a deer or bufl'alo he cuts up 

 the body in a "wakan" manner. He skins it, but leaves the horns at- 

 tached to the skull. He reddens the skin all over, and in the rear of 

 the lodge, in the open air, he prepares a bed of vrild sage {Artemisia), 

 on which he lays the skull. He erects a post, on which he hangs a 

 tobacco pouch and a robe that is to be offered as a sacrifice. When 

 the devotee takes a meal everything which he touches must be jierfectly 

 clean. He uses a new knife, which no one else dares to handle. What- 

 ever he eats must be prepared in the best possible manner by the other 

 members of the household. They make for him a new pipe ornamented 

 with porcupine work, a new tobacco pouch, and a stick for pushing the 

 tobacco down into the bowl, both ornamented in like manner. 



§ 148. The devotee must not go swimming, but he can enter the sweat- 

 lodge. There he rubs his body all over with wild sage; he cannot use 

 calico or cotton for that purpose. No unclean person of either sex 

 must go near him. The devotee is prohibited from fighting, even 

 should the camp be attacked. He must not act hastily, but at all times 

 must he proceed leisurely. He has his regular periods for crying and 

 praying.' 



§149. All his female kindred uuike many pairs of moccasins and col- 

 lect money and an abundance of all kinds of goods, in order to give 

 presents to poor people at the time of the sun dance. Then they can 

 make gifts to whomsoever they please, and on that account they will 

 win the right to have a child's ears pierced. The goods or horses, 

 on account of which the child's ears are to be pierced, are reserved 

 for that occasion at some other place. The man whose oiHce it will 

 be to i^ierce the children's ears has to be notified in advance that 

 his services will be required. (See §205.) 



TRIBES INVITED TO THE SUN-DANCE. 



§150. When the devotees have performed all the preliminary duties 

 required of them, messages are sent to all the neighboring tribes, 

 i. e., the Omaha, Pawnee Loup, Cheyenne, Eee, Hidatsa, Blackfeet, 

 Nez Perce, Winnebago, Yankton, and Santee. The latter part of 

 June is fixed upon as the time for the dance. (See §§ 138, 141.) The 

 visitors from the different nations begin to come together in the spring, 

 each visiting tribe forming its sepaiate camj). Though some of the 

 visitors are hereditary enemies, it matters not during the sun-dance; 

 they visit one another; they shake hands and form alliances. In this 

 manner several weeks are spent very pleasantly. 



DISCIPLINE MAINTAINED. 



§151. Policemen are appointed, and a crier proclaims to each lodge 

 that at a specified place there is a broad and pleasant prairie where 



' Compare Miss Fletcher, iu Proo. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1882, p. 581. 



