^RNS^fORKl 



TKTON RIOTTX MTTRTC 127 



Sun-(lanco pipe, w\\u-}\ would bo smokinl (hiring tiic ccromony. The 

 Leader of the Daneei-s walked beside him, carrying the ceremonial 

 buffalo skull, which had been painted with stripes of red ext(>nding 

 from the nostrils to the horns. Near him walked some close relative 

 or friend, who carried the Leader's sealed pipe, which would be 

 placed with the buffalo skull beside the square of exposed earth. 

 Those who were to fulfill their vows walked on either side of the Inter- 

 cessor and the Leader of the Dancers, and around them were the war 

 societies and other organizations of the tri})e. On reaching the 

 entrance of the Sun-dance circle tlie procession paused. The Inter- 

 cessor directed the attention of the people to the east, and it was 



understood that each man offered a silent prayer; this action was 

 repeated toward the south, the west, and the north, after which they 



itered the inclosure. Amid impressive silence the procession passed 

 ,dong the southern "side" of the circle to the western "side," where 

 . lie Leader of the Dancers, pausing, laid the buffalo skull on the bed 

 V. " sage, with its face toward the east. He then placed his sealed 

 pipe in its ceremonial position, the bowl resting on the buffalo skull 

 and the stem supported by a slight frame of sticks pa;inted blue 

 (see pp.64, 72),, the mouthpiece of the pipe being extended toward 

 t.\e Sun-dance pole (pi. 20), When the Intercessor rose to sing 

 or pray, he held this pipe in his hand, afterward Replacing it in its 



eremonial position; it was also extended toward the sky, the earth, 

 id the cardinal points, but the seal on it was not broken until after 

 t.ie ceremony. 



The pipe which was smoked at the ceremony was that of the Inter- 

 cessor. He first burned sweet grass, the ascending smoke of which 

 was said to symbolize prayer.^ Then he lit the pipe, and extended 

 the stem toward the sky, the earth, and the cardinal points. The fol- 

 lowing explanation of this action was given by Wakir)'yar)-wata'- 

 kpe (Charging Thunder): "When we hold the pipe toward the sky, 

 we are offering it to Wakarj'taqka. We offer it to the earth be- 

 cause that is our home and we are thankful to be here ; we offer it to 

 the east, south, west, and north because those are the homes of the 

 four winds; a storm may come from any direction, therefore we wish 

 to make peace with the winds that bring the storms." After this 

 action, the Intercessor, having first smoked the pipe himself, offered 

 it to the Leader and all the dancers. This procedure was repeated 

 at infr(>quent intervals during the period of dancing. 



Beside the Sun-dan(5e pole the men who were to fulfill their vows 

 stood facing the sun, with hands upraised. The Intercessor cried, 

 ''Repent, repent! ",2 whereupon a cry of lamentation rose from the 

 entire assembly. 



> See article Incense, by James Mooney, in Handbook Amer. Inds., pt. 1, p. 604. 



' Certain features of the ceremony seem to show the influence of Christian teaching. See footnoe p. 88. 



