70 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 61 



In describing the purport of the ceremony Looking Elk (HeKa'ka- 

 wa'kita), a Teton Sioux, said: 



The great result of this ceremony is that the man who performed it was regarded as 

 a father by the child for whom he performed it. He made a solemn vow taking that 

 child under his protection until one or the other died. He became like a brother to 

 the man whose children he sang over and painted with the hugka stripes. In all 

 the great ceremonies of the Sioux there is not one that binds two men together so 

 strongly as this. 



The keynote, or central idea, of this ceremony (as held by the 

 Teton Sioux) is the affection of a father for his child, and his desire 

 that only good should come to it. The following statement is given 

 in the words of Mr. Higheagle: 



It is strictly believed and understood by the Sioux that a child is the greatest gift 

 from Wakar)'tar)ka, in response to many devout prayers, sacrifices, and promises. 

 Therefore the child is considered "sent by Wakag'tagka, " through some element — 

 namely, the element of human being. That the child may grow up in health with all 

 the virtues expected, and especially that no serious misfortune may befall the child, the 

 father makes promises or vows to Wakaij'taijka as manifested by the different elements 

 of the earth and sky. During the period of youthful blessedness the father spared no 

 pains to let the people know of his great love for his child or children. This was 

 measured by his fellow men according to the sacrifices or gifts given, or the number of 

 ceremonies performed . In order to have a standard by which this love could be shown, 

 the first thing taken into consideration and adopted was the 'White Buffalo Maiden, 

 Sent to the Sioux tribe by the Buffalo tribe. The impression left upon the people by 

 the Maiden and her extraordinary good qualities were things that were much admired 

 by every parent as a model for his children. This Maiden was pure white, without a 

 blemish — that was the principal desire of the father for the character of his child. 

 The Maiden addressed men, women, and children. 



It had been told by the Maiden that good things would come to the people 

 by means of the pipe, so it seemed necessary that there be a ceremony, having 

 connection with the Maiden and with the pipe. For this reason the essential article 

 in the Alo^wagpi ceremony is the "Ilugka Canog'pa," a decorated wand, which 

 represents the pipe given to the Indians by the Maiden, the original pipe not being 

 available when needed for this ceremony. ['] This wand, or pipestem, was carried 

 and employed by the itay'cay, "leader" P] during the ceremony, and when that was 

 finished it was given to the child for whom the ceremony had been performed. In 

 many families such a pipestem was handed down for many generations. The manner 

 of decorating the pipestem has also been handed down, and neither the shape nor the 

 decoration can be changed. A new pipestem might be made by some one who had 

 undergone the ceremony, but an old one was generally used. The wand, or pipe- 

 stem, was usually about 20 inches long. On it were fastened tufts of the feathers of 

 the kagke^da, pileated woodpecker, and above each tuft of feathers was the head of 



II In stating that the wand represented the pipe, the tradition related by the informant seems to have 

 confused the symbolic meaning of the two. See article Calumet, by J. N. B. Hewitt, in Handboolc of 

 American Indians, pt. 1.] 



[- The exact significance of this word may 1;e understood from the connection in which it is used (cf. pp. 

 162, ISO, footnotes), or other words may be added tomake the meaning m.ore definite. Thus certain officers 

 in the spirit lodge, and the leader of dancers in the Sun dance were called merely Uar}'car) (see pp. 81, 98). 

 Other officers in the spirit lodge were designated, respectively, wahpatj'ka ilipc'ya Uar)'caT), 'leader in 

 charge of food'; wo'waH iUy'tiy, literally 'labor leader', and UaTj'caT) iyz'tay ki'yapi, 'leader who lights 

 the pipe' while the master of the entire spirit-keeping ceremony was known as a'taya itay'taig (see pp. 

 80, 81). An intensified form of the word, in'itarj'cari, 'supreme leader', appears on p. 216. 



